- Date
- March 18, 2015, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greensboro, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N43MTAmerican Champion 7GCAA
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Greensboro FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150318004829A
- Case key
- 90917
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 directional/pitch control during final approach, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 5
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 stated that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. On his third landing he encountered what he believed was wind variable at 350 degrees to 040 degrees about 15 feet above the ground which lifted the airplane's left wing upward, the tail wheel struck a marker cone while on the final approach. Subsequently the right wing came in contact with the ground which resulted in damage to the right wing spar and right aileron. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. On his third landing he encountered what he believed was wind variable at 350 degrees to 040 degrees about 15 feet above the ground which lifted the airplane's left wing upward, the tail wheel struck a marker cone while on the final approach. Subsequently the right wing came in contact with the ground which resulted in damage to the right wing spar and right aileron. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43MT
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCAA (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402-98
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 1,420.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Echo Tango LLC
- Registered owner
- Echo Tango LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 17, 2014 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- W88 · Greensboro, NC
- Destination
- W88 · Greensboro, NC
- Airport
- W88 · Air Harbor, runway 09, 2,460 × 65 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 498 total · 320 in this make and model · 430 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2014
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 25 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KGSO, 8 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 20, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 392 KB 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.