- Date
- October 5, 2020, 14:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Ellijay, GA · Airport runway
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N787ACChampion 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201005018309A
- Case key
- 102098
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 improper landing flare which resulted in a bounced landing and a subsequent noseover.
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 was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane and reported that his final approach speed was excessive. Upon touchdown, the airplane ballooned and then settled back onto the runway at an angle. It subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N787AC
- Reported as
- Champion 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 831-99
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 1,268
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B, 180 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2020 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- PDK · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- 49A · Ellijay, GA
- Airport
- 49A · Gilmer County Airport, runway 03, 3,607 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Unknown
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,930 total · 278 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.16 inHg
- Observed at
- KDNN, 18 nm away
- METAR
- KDNN 051855Z AUTO 01004KT 10SM CLR 23/10 A3016 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.2 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.