No fatalities

12 Oct 2013: CHAMPION 7ECA NO SERIES — MICHAEL Warren M. — Willows, CA

Willows, CA, United States

On 12 Oct 2013, a CHAMPION 7ECA NO SERIES operated by MICHAEL Warren M. was involved in an aviation accident near Willows, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude while flying low over a field which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and collision with terrain. 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 flying low over a rice field caught wheels in vegetation, causing the airplane to nosed over after touchdown, resulting in substantial damage to engine mounts, wings, and empennage.

Incident Overview

A pilot was conducting a low-altitude flight over a rice field when the airplane's wheels became entangled in vegetation. The pilot attempted to initiate a climb, but the aircraft was instead forced downward into the field. Following contact with the ground, the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial structural damage.

Damage Assessment

The nose-over event caused significant damage to the engine mounts, both wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.

Pilot Report

According to the pilot, the flight was intentionally low over the rice field when the wheels caught in the vegetation. Despite an effort to pull up, the airplane was pulled down into the field. The subsequent nose-over resulted in the reported damage.

No Mechanical Issues

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane before the accident, indicating that the event was due to the interaction with the vegetation rather than any system failure.

Contributing factors

Causes

Altitude — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Object/animal/substance