No fatalities

4 Apr 2009: American Champion 7GCAA — Monterey Bay Aviation — Monterey, CA

Monterey, CA, United States

On 4 Apr 2009, an American Champion 7GCAA operated by Monterey Bay Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Monterey, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to attain/maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot noted a left quartering tailwind after a wind shift during takeoff on runway 10R. The airplane yawed left, lost lift, and came to rest on its belly. Tail wheel and left gear collapsed, left wing tip damaged, prop struck ground.

Background

The wind was variable and shifting from onshore to offshore. After completing the run-up, the pilot taxied to the hold short line and observed that the wind continued to shift. Immediately after being cleared for takeoff on runway 10R, the controller informed the pilot that the wind had shifted and was now from 330 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot acknowledged that she would be taking off with a left quartering tailwind.

Sequence of Events

During the ground roll, the pilot pushed the stick forward to raise the tail. She then eased forward pressure, causing the airplane to become airborne momentarily. The pilot attempted to get the airplane into ground effect to gain more airspeed, but the wind changed direction again. The airplane yawed to the left. The pilot tried to correct the yaw but stated that there was no lift and no altitude, and the airplane was in a nose-up attitude. The nose quickly dropped to the right, and the airplane came to rest on its belly off the right side of the runway.

Damage

The tail wheel and left main gear collapsed. The left wing tip was damaged, and the propeller struck the ground.

Pilot's Statement

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.

Contributing factors

Performance/control parameters — Not attained/maintainedAbility to respond/compensatePilot