- Date
- September 17, 2021, 19:10 local (Sep 18, 2021, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Beaumont, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2468WAmerican Champion 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20210917017329A
- Case key
- 104009
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the turn to final approach resulting in a rapid descent and impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 after a 20-minute local flight, he and the flight instructor landed and swapped seats so that the flight instructor could fly a traffic pattern from the front seat. The flight instructor flew a tight traffic pattern and as he turned from a right base leg toward the final approach, the airplane descended rapidly and impacted terrain prior to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The flight instructor did not recall the accident sequence due to his injuries. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2468W
- Reported as
- American Champion 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 886-2001
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bridges Brandon Neal
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2021 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- BMT · Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- BMT · Beaumont, TX
- Airport
- BMT · Beaumont Muni, runway 13/31, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- August 31, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,190 total · 38 in this make and model · 2,150 as pilot in command · 112 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Last flight review
- December 5, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 577 total · 115 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KBMT
- METAR
- KBMT 180015Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT037 29/24 A2994 RMK AO2 T02880238
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.