Pilot Debrief

CHAMPION 7EC near Ravenswood, WV — 2017-12-01

Final reportERA18LA040
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Date
2017-12-01
Location
Ravenswood, WV, USA
Airport
I18
Aircraft
CHAMPION 7EC
Registration
N7586E
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot completed one circuit in the traffic pattern that was uneventful, then performed a three-point landing. As the airplane's speed decreased, it began to veer to the right side of the runway. The pilot applied left aileron and full left rudder; however, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. He applied full power to attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane went down an embankment before it came to rest, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, and fuselage. The right main landing gear separated from the airplane during the accident sequence and, therefore, could not be tested. Although the pilot stated that the right brake "seized upon landing," an examination of the brake system did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing earlier to avoid veering off runway.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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