- Date
- May 22, 2020, 11:23 local (16:23 UTC)
- Place
- Carbondale, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5183XChampion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200522001959A
- Case key
- 101325
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 pilot's excessive brake input while he attempted to maintain directional control during landing roll.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during a wheel landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a hard surface runway. The pilot stated that upon touchdown the airplane began to swerve side-to-side due to the airplane's "natural instability" on the ground. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control by pulling full aft on the control stick and applying maximum braking; however, his excessive brake input while the airplane was in a level pitch attitude caused the airplane to pitch down and the propeller to impact the runway before the airplane pivoted back onto the tailwheel. The airplane came to rest upright on the runway. The tailwheel crushed the lower portion of the rudder when it landed hard on the runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity and found no issues with the wheel brakes or the tailwheel.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during a wheel landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a hard surface runway. The pilot stated that upon touchdown the airplane began to swerve side-to-side due to the airplane's "natural instability" on the ground. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control by pulling full aft on the control stick and applying maximum braking; however, his excessive brake input while the airplane was in a level pitch attitude caused the airplane to pitch down and the propeller to impact the runway before the airplane pivoted back onto the tailwheel. The airplane came to rest upright on the runway. The tailwheel crushed the lower portion of the rudder when it landed hard on the runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity and found no issues with the wheel brakes or the tailwheel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5183X
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 170
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 2,035
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 2019 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
- Destination
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
- Airport
- MDH · Southern Illinois Airport, runway 18R, 3,498 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 7, 2018
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 462 total · 84 in this make and model · 349 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- MDH
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.