- Date
- July 14, 2018, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Warren, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2127CChampion 7GC
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180714011169A
- Case key
- 97899
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.
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 reported that, during a three-point landing in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, as soon as the airplane touched down, the tailwheel shimmied. He raised the tail attempting to keep the airplane straight, but it veered right. He applied left brake, but the airplane continued toward a ditch. He then applied right rudder and right brake attempting to spin the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. The pilot reported that the wind was from 230° at 4 knots at the accident airport. The automated weather observation system about 17 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 230° at 7 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 21.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during a three-point landing, in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, as soon as the airplane touched down the tailwheel shimmied. He raised the tail attempting to keep the airplane straight, but it veered to the right. He applied left brake, but the airplane continued toward a ditch. He then applied right rudder and right brake attempting to spin the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. The pilot reported the wind to be 230° at 4 knots at the accident airport. The automated weather observation system about 17 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 230° at 7 knots. The pilot landed on runway 21.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2127C
- Reported as
- Champion 7GC (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7GC-50
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 2,426
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2B, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2018
- Departed
- 4M3 · Carlisle, AR
- Destination
- 3M9 · Warren, AR
- Airport
- 3M9 · Warren Muni, runway 21, 3,829 × 75 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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 12, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 290 total · 150 in this make and model · 290 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KLLQ, 17 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 30, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.