- Date
- November 13, 2006, 09:39 local (16:39 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N87VFAmerican Champion 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20061113023459A
- Case key
- 64881
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall and hard landing.
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
The pilot made a normal wheel landing and allowed the tail to settle. When the tail wheel touched the runway, the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder but the airplane did not respond. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and the pilot applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing. The airplane lifted off, stalled, and landed hard.
Factual narrative
On November 13, 2006, at 0938 mountain standard time, an American Champion 7GCBC, N87VF, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it landed hard during an attempted an aborted landing at Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane were not injured. The local flight originated from Santa Fe approximately 0700.
The pilot said he made a normal wheel landing and allowed the tail to settle. When the tail wheel touched the runway, the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder but the airplane did not respond. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and the pilot applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing. The airplane lifted off briefly, then "settled back on the runway, impacted, and spun around."
The FAA inspector who went to the scene said his investigation revealed that during the landing abort, the airplane lifted off, stalled, and landed hard. Post-accident inspection revealed the left wing spar was bent, and a rib was broken, the left elevator and rudder were bent, the empennage was twisted, and the left main landing gear was torn off. Flight control continuity was established, and no system anomalies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87VF
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1422-2006
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- Superior O-360-A3A2, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Robins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SAF · Santa Fe, NM
- Destination
- SAF
- Airport
- SAF · Santa Fe Municipal, runway 20, 8,342 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 32 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- SAF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.