- Date
- October 7, 2025, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- East Rockingham, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N63BCChampion 7ECA
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 11, 2025
- 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
- 20251007015039A
- Case key
- 201815
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 control of the airplane during initial climb, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
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 was attempting a normal landing with a left crosswind. About 200 ft into the landing roll, the right wing began to lift, and he overcorrected with left rudder input in an attempt to level the airplane. Fearing a ground loop, the pilot subsequently rejected the landing. During the initial climb, as the pilot attempted to clear trees at the end of the runway, the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall, resulting in impact with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63BC
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 637
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 3,321.75
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2025 · 16.8 hours before
- Departed
- MEB · Maxton, NC
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- RCZ · Richmond County, runway 22, 3,009 × 490 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 674.4 total · 17 in this make and model · 627 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 3021.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RCZ
- METAR
- METAR KRCZ 071530Z AUTO 16006KT 10SM SCT026 26/19 A3021
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.