- Date
- July 27, 2026, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, ME · Runway
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N291CAAmerican Champion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- 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
- 20260727010999A
- Case key
- 203465
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 directional control during landing and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor was providing instruction to the pilot toward a tailwheel endorsement. During their second flight of the day, the flight instructor demonstrated a normal traffic pattern and 3-point landing, after which the pilot flew the subsequent traffic pattern and landing approach. As the pilot attempted a 3-point landing, the airplane touched down with slight drift. The pilot attempted to correct the drift but applied excessive right and then left rudder control inputs. The airplane subsequently ground looped and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N291CA
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1373-2004
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 3,195
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Maine Aviation
- Registered owner
- Maya Air Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 22, 2026 · 39 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SFM · Sanford Seacoast Rgnl, runway 32, 4,999 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2026
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 17,972 total · 120 in this make and model · 7,797 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2026
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 359.6 total · 0 in this make and model · 275.8 as pilot in command · 20.8 in the last 90 days · 3.7 in the last 30 days · 1.7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- SFM
- METAR
- METAR KSFM 271456Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP113 T02390139 58003
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 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.