- Date
- February 2, 2018, 11:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N519ACAmerican Champion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180202000079A
- Case key
- 96712
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 control during landing due to being distracted by another airplane and her delayed initiation of a go-around, during which the right wing struck a parked helicopter.
Findings · 6
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 reported that, during landing, she became distracted by another airplane performing a touch-and-go, and upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the right. She added full power to go around, but the airplane continued to the right as it became airborne, and the right wing struck a parked helicopter. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the tops of bushes and came to rest inverted in an adjacent riverbed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing, she became distracted by another airplane performing a touch-and-go and, upon touchdown, her airplane veered to the right. She added full power to go around, but the airplane continued to the right as it became airborne and the right wing struck a parked helicopter. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the tops of bushes and came to rest inverted in an adjacent riverbed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N519AC
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCBC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1295-2000
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 1,052.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2017
- Departed
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Destination
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula, runway 04, 2,713 × 60 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,131.8 total · 9.8 in this make and model · 994 as pilot in command · 15.1 in the last 90 days · 9.8 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KSZP, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.