- Date
- April 30, 2026, 18:29 local (May 1, 2026, 00:29 UTC)
- Place
- Big Water, UT · Open terrain
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N400KBAmerican Champion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20260430006729A
- Case key
- 202931
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 adequate airspeed and exceedance of the airplanes critical angle of attack while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in a subsequent stall and impact with trees during stall recovery.
Findings · 4
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 he was conducting a low altitude flight locating cattle. During a turn to the right, the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall. While recovering from the stall, the airplane’s left wing impacted a tree, which resulted in loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain. Both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400KB
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1234-97
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 3,531.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 20, 2026
- Departed
- CDC · Cedar City, UT
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 13, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,404.6 total · 610.5 in this make and model · 1,318.2 as pilot in command · 196.5 in the last 90 days · 67.6 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KPGA, 25 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPGA 010053Z AUTO 05010KT 10SM CLR 22/M09 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP069 T02171089
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.