- Date
- January 16, 2017, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bainbridge, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2540FAmerican Champion 7GCAA
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170116000509A
- Case key
- 94622
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 student pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, and his subsequent loss of directional control after touchdown.
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 solo student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he had completed five touch-and-go landings and maneuvers in the local area before returning for a full-stop landing. While on final approach about 50 ft above ground, he reduced throttle to idle and allowed the airspeed to slow, and the left wing dropped abruptly. The left main landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane veered to the left into grass, and it then nosed over. The left wing lift strut and the rudder sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot failed to submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he had completed five touch-and-go landings and maneuvers in the local area before returning for a full stop landing. He reported that while on final approach about 50 feet above ground, he reduced throttle to idle, allowed the airspeed to slow, and the left wing dropped abruptly. The left main landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane veered to the left into grass, and nosed over. The left wing lift strut and the rudder sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot failed to submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2540F
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCAA (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 96
- Built
- 1965
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- AG Flight Pilot Training
- Registered owner
- Howell, William F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BGE · Bainbridge, GA
- Destination
- BGE · Bainbridge, GA
- Airport
- BGE · Decatur County Industrial Air, runway 09, 5,502 × 149 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KBGE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 648 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.