# Accident 20260625007919A: Champion 7EC, Highgate, VT, June 25, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 25, 2026, 13:00 local time
- Place: Highgate, VT
- Airport: Franklin County State Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.9346° N, 73.0962° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9346&lon=-73.0962&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4346C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4346C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Champion 7EC (registry code 21101NM, https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7ec) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C90 series (registry code 17009, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CHAMPION 7EC
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C90 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,461 total, 120 in this make and model, 37 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA260](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA260) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260625007919A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JUNE 25, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT OF A TAILWHEEL AERONCA CHAMPION AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A LANDING ON THE GRASS AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18 AT HIGHGATE VERMONT AIRPORT - FSO. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT APPLIED EXCESSIVE BRAKING, RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT PITCHING FORWARD AND OVERTURNING ONTO ITS BACK. WHEEL MARKS OBSERVED IN THE GRASS INDICATE DRAGGING AND BRAKE LOCK-UP CONSISTENT WITH ABRUPT BRAKE APPLICATION.

WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS VFR, WITH A CROSSWIND COMPONENT OF APPROXIMATELY 5–7 KNOTS.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE:

BENT PROPELLER

TWISTED/BENT WING STRUTS

WING SPAR DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH WING DISTORTION

RUDDER DAMAGE

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA26LA260](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA260), Jun 25, 2026: Champion 7EC (N4346C), Highgate, VT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.