What happened
On June 26, 2017, a Champion 7BCM was performing a landing in Watertown, South Dakota, under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 020 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing roll, the pilot reported that the right wing of the aircraft, registration N3195C, suddenly lifted.
Despite the pilot applying both rudder and aileron corrections, the airplane entered a ground loop, causing the left wing to strike the ground. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no injuries following the event.
The investigation
The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident that would have prevented the airplane from operating normally.