On November 13, 2006, an American Champion (acac) 7GCBC (registration N87VF) was involved in an aviation accident near Santa FE, NM. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout, which led to the aircraft departing the runway and stalling during the subsequent aborted landing attempt. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A tailwheel aircraft veered sharply left upon touchdown during a normal wheel landing. The pilot attempted an aborted landing with full power but stalled, resulting in a hard impact off the runway.
What happened
The flight concluded with a standard wheel landing technique, where the pilot allowed the main wheels to contact the pavement first before settling the tail onto the runway surface. Immediately after the tailwheel made contact with the ground, the aircraft experienced a sudden and sharp deviation to the left.
In response to this directional instability, the pilot applied full right rudder input in an effort to correct the heading. However, the control surfaces failed to produce the necessary response to keep the aircraft aligned with the runway centerline. The airplane continued its trajectory off the left edge of the paved surface.
Recognizing the loss of directional control and runway environment, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure by applying full engine power. As the aircraft attempted to climb out of the ground effect, it encountered an aerodynamic stall. The subsequent descent resulted in a hard impact with the terrain adjacent to the runway.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout, which led to the aircraft departing the runway and stalling during the subsequent aborted landing attempt.