- Date
- June 10, 2003, 09:50 local (13:50 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N607ECAmerican Champion 7EC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20030610010519A
- Case key
- 57187
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 pilots inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control. A factor related to the accident was the crosswind.
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
While landing, the wind began to make the airplane unstabilized. After the main wheels touched down, the airplane veered to the left at a 45-degree angle, and proceeded off the runway surface onto the grass. The pilot regained control of the airplane; however, the right main landing gear struck a taxiway identification sign causing the airplane to turn 180 degrees. During the turn, the vertical stabilizer struck the ground. The accident flight was the pilots second solo flight in the tailwheeled airplane. The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 200 degrees at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 10, 2003, at 0950 eastern daylight time, an American Champion 7EC, N607EC, was substantially damaged while landing at Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the accident flight was his second solo flight in the tailwheeled airplane. He had completed about 12 to 15 landings while conducting the solo flights. While landing on runway 24, a 4,326-foot-long, 80-foot-wide asphalt runway, the wind began to make the airplane unstabilized. After the main wheels touched down, the airplane veered to the left at a 45-degree angle, and proceeded off the runway surface onto the grass. The pilot regained control of the airplane; however, the right main landing gear struck a taxiway identification sign causing the airplane to turn 180 degrees. During the turn, the vertical stabilizer struck the ground.
Upon coming to a complete stop, the pilot taxied the airplane back to the ramp area.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any abnormalities with the airplane's flight controls, nor did the pilot report any.
The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 200 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N607EC
- Reported as
- American Champion 7EC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 713
- Airframe hours
- 2,790
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bowman Eagles Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 2003 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- LOU
- Destination
- LOU
- Airport
- LOU · Bowman Field, runway 24, 4,326 × 80 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 26 in this make and model · 199 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.