# NTSB CHI04LA072: American Champion 8GCBC, N186AC, Sunburg, MN, February 13, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 13, 2004, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Sunburg, MN - Coordinates: 45.358333, -95.205001 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.3583&lon=-95.2050&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 1, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 58804 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI04LA072 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58804/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA072 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper in-flight decision to land off-airport. A factor to the accident was the snow covered ditch. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - ditch (contributing factor) - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor) - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted a ditch and subsequently nosed over while landing on a gravel road. The pilot stated the purpose of the flight was to take aerial photographs of several Minnesota farms. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight he had the "sudden urge to use the bathroom" and he selected a nearby gravel road to land on. The pilot stated that during landing rollout he noticed a sign on the left side of the road. While he attempted to maneuver the airplane to avoid striking the sign, the right wheel "got sucked into the ditch which was full of snow." The airplane subsequently impacted the ditch and nosed over. The airplane was configured with extended range fuel system that increased the airplane's maximum endurance to approximately 7 hours. The accident flight was reported to be approximately 5 1/2 hours in duration. ## Factual narrative On February 13, 2004, at 1400 central standard time, an American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC, N186AC, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a ditch and subsequently nosed over while landing on a gravel road near Sunburg, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The flight departed at 0830 from a private airstrip near Castlewood, South Dakota. The pilot stated the purpose of the flight was to take aerial photographs of several Minnesota farms. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight he had the "sudden urge to use the bathroom" and he selected a nearby gravel road to land on. The pilot stated that during landing rollout he noticed a sign on the left side of the road. While he attempted to maneuver the airplane to avoid striking the sign, the right wheel "got sucked into the ditch which was full of snow." The airplane subsequently impacted the ditch and nosed over. The airplane was configured with extended range fuel system that increased the airplane's maximum endurance to approximately 7 hours. The accident flight was reported to be approximately 5 1/2 hours in duration. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N186AC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N186AC), registered now, S/N 369-94, built 1994 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: American Champion (ACAC) 8GCBC - Registry model: [American Champion 8GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-8gcbc) (registry code 2121004) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 369-94 - Airframe hours: 3660 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-C1E 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 12, 2003, 20 hours before - Departed: PVT, Castlewood, SD - Destination: Sunburg, MN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review February 2, 2004; seat: front; flight hours: 10,043 total, 9,500 in this make and model, 9,957 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 19 °F - Altimeter: 29.79 inHg - Observed at: ILL, 15 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040213003489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040213003489A), Feb 13, 2004: Bbavia 8GCBC, Sunberg, MN, Substantial damage. (-23) While landing on a remote gravel road due to the fact the pilot had a sudden urge to use the bathroom, the aircraft veered to the right to avoid hitting… ## Other investigations on N186AC (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 SEA07CA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA07CA042), Jan 5, 2007: American Champion 8GCBC (N186AC), Buckley, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to release brake pressure soon enough when his airplane skidded from wet grass onto dry terrain during an off-airport, full-stop landing. A factor was the change in terrain from… 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. --- 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.