- Date
- November 29, 2020, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Northhampton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9721NChampion 7EC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20201129019839A
- Case key
- 102371
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 loss of airplane control during an off-airport landing on soft sand, which resulted in a nose over.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he planned to complete a landing on a gravel/ sand bank along a river. He first completed an approach and a momentary touchdown and subsequently performed a go-around, in effort to evaluate the condition of the landing surface. During the second approach and landing, the airplane touched down on gravel and as the ground roll progressed into soft sand, the airplane slowed considerably, the tail rose, and the airplane nosed over. The windscreen and wing spar sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9721N
- Reported as
- Champion 7EC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 661
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 3,085.5
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 2020
- Departed
- PTD · Potsdam, NY
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE · None
- Equipment
- None
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,056 total · 472 in this make and model · 989 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2.3 in the last 30 days · 2.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KALB, 30 nm away
- METAR
- KALB 291851Z 15007KT 10SM CLR 08/M03 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP181 T00781028
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.