No fatalities

10 Oct 2014: CHAMPION 7FC — Reidsville, NC

Reidsville, NC, United States

On 10 Oct 2014, a CHAMPION 7FC was involved in an aviation accident near Reidsville, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll in gusty wind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During landing, an airplane settled onto runway 31, then a gust lifted the left wing; the pilot's aileron correction led to a left veer, striking a runway sign and taxiway light before coming to rest in grass. Substantial damage to fuselage, empennage, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions reported.

Accident Details

The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane "settled" onto runway 31. Subsequently, a "gust of wind lifted" the left wing. In an attempt to counteract the movement, the pilot applied aileron correction. However, the airplane veered to the left, struck a runway sign and a taxiway light, and then came to rest in a grassy area.

Wind Conditions

The wind reported at the airport around the time of the accident was from 250 degrees at 4 knots, gusting to 14 knots.

Damage

During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Attain/maintain not possiblePilot