# NTSB DEN07CA023: American Champion 7GCBC, N87VF, Santa Fe, NM, November 13, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: November 13, 2006, 09:39 local (16:39 UTC) - Place: Santa Fe, NM - Coordinates: 35.617221, -106.089447 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6172&lon=-106.0894&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 64881 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN07CA023 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64881/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN07CA023 ## 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 In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - aborted landing - attempted, pilot in command - Hard landing, descent - uncontrolled - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command ## 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 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: American Champion (ACAC) 7GCBC - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1422-2006 - Airframe hours: 40 - Engines: 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. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20061113023459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061113023459A), Nov 13, 2006: Bbavia 7GCBC, Santa Fe, NM, Substantial damage. (-23) On November 13, 2006 at 09:39 MST, a champ 7-gcbc, N87VF, departed the runway at Santa Fe, new Mexico, while on a sightseeing flight. Visual… 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.