- Date
- June 3, 2003, 12:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77GAAmerican Champion 7GCAA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-07
- FAA report
- 20030603017689A
- Case key
- 57130
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 certified flight instructor's improper flare and his delayed remedial action. The pilot's failure to maintain directional control is a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot was executing his first landing in the airplane in an effort to obtain a tailwheel signoff. While approaching the runway, the airplane encountered a crosswind from the left. The certified flight instructor (CFI) instructed the private pilot to correct for the crosswind by adding right rudder inputs, which he did throughout landing to touchdown. After the airplane touched down, the private pilot began to over-control the airplane with the rudder. The CFI assumed the controls and added full power. The airplane climbed back into the air and the CFI tried to realign it with the runway centerline. The airplane descended back to the ground and touched down hard on the left main landing gear, shearing the landing gear assembly from the fuselage. The airplane then departed the left side of the runway, where the left wing dug into the ground. The airplane came to rest upright. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any abnormalities with the airplane flight controls, nor did the pilots report any. The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were calm.
Factual narrative
On June 3, 2003, at 1235 eastern daylight time, an American Champion 7GCAA, N77GA, was substantially damaged while landing at the Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Frederick Maryland. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, the private pilot was executing his first landing in the airplane in an effort to obtain a tailwheel signoff. While approaching runway 23, a 2,220-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway, the airplane encountered a crosswind from the left. The CFI instructed the private pilot to correct for the crosswind by adding right rudder inputs, which he did throughout landing to touchdown.
After the airplane touched down, the private pilot began to over-control the airplane with the rudder. The CFI assumed the controls and added full power. The airplane climbed back into the air and the CFI tried to realign it with the runway centerline. The airplane descended back to the ground and touched down hard on the left main landing gear, shearing the landing gear assembly from the fuselage. The airplane then departed the left side of the runway, where the left wing dug into the ground. The airplane came to rest upright.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any abnormalities with the airplane flight controls, nor did the pilots report any. The inspector added that the runway was wet at the time of the accident.
The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77GA
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 471-2003
- Airframe hours
- 105
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
- Registered owner
- American Champion Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- FDK
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Municipal Airport, runway 23, 5,220 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 21, 2002
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 5,611 total · 4 in this make and model · 3,040 as pilot in command
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 18, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 146 total · 1 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- FDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.