- Date
- December 29, 2004, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Talladega, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9588SChampion 7-GCAA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO
- FAA report
- 20041229032339A
- Case key
- 60821
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The binding right wheel brake that resulted in a loss of control during landing roll. A factor was the drainage ditch.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, upon making a three-point landing the airplane veered aggressively to the right. He applied full left rudder with no success. He then applied full power to possibly regain rudder control with no success. He stated that the airplane continued to the right crossing a taxiway and impacting a drainage ditch before coming to a stop. The pilot did not report any flight control problems prior to landing. The pilot stated that he recently got his tailwheel signoff and had accumulated about 23 hours of total time in this airplane. Examination of the right main landing gear by a local mechanic found that the brake pucks were new and that the right main wheel had some drag to it from the new brakes. However, he continued to say that the wheel and brake were not locked, it simply would not "turn freely."
Factual narrative
On December 29, 2004 at 1030 central standard time, a Champion 7GCAA, N9588S, registered to and operated by the private pilot collided into a ditch during landing roll on runway 21, at the Talladega Municipal Airport in Talladega, Alabama. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Murray, Kentucky at 0735, on December 29, 2004.
According to the pilot, upon making a three-point landing the airplane veered aggressively to the right. He applied full left rudder with no success. He then applied full power to possibly regain rudder control with no success. He stated that the airplane continued to the right crossing a taxiway and collided with a drainage ditch before coming to a stop.
Examination of the airplane found 8-inches of one propeller blade separated, both main landing gear sheared off and the under-belly and wing struts were damaged. The pilot did not report any flight control problems prior to landing. Examination of the right main landing gear by a local Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic found that the brake pucks were new and that the right main wheel had some drag to it from the new brakes. However, he continued to say that the wheel and brake were not locked, it simply would not "turn freely."
The pilot stated that he recently got his tailwheel sign-off and had accumulated about 23 hours of total time in this airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9588S
- Reported as
- Champion 7-GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7
- Airframe hours
- 2,018
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronnie Geurin
- Registered owner
- Ronnie C. Geurin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2004 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- CEY · Murray, KY
- Destination
- TGA · Talladega, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- December 20, 2004
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 768 total · 23 in this make and model · 682 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.50 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9588S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.