- Date
- August 25, 2018, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ocklawaha, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7618SChampion 7GCBC
- 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
- 20180825016049A
- Case key
- 98183
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 · 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 pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, a wind gust from the right caused the airplane to weathervane. The airplane veered right off the runway, ground looped to the right, and the left wing and elevator impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. The pilot added that he was a "very experienced pilot, but very inexperienced with tailwheel operations." 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, a wind gust from the right side caused the airplane to weathervane. The airplane veered to the right off the runway, ground looped to the right, and the left wing and elevator impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. The pilot added that he is a "very experienced pilot, but very inexperienced with tailwheel operations." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7618S
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 923-76
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 1,773
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 13, 2018
- Departed
- FA38 · Ocklawaha, FL
- Destination
- FA38 · Ocklawaha, FL
- Airport
- FA38 · Woods And Lakes Airpark, runway 03, 2,900 × 97 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Private, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 11,300 total · 25 in this make and model · 11,000 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KVVG, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.