No fatalities

14 Jul 2020: Champion 7GCBC No Series — Texas Taildraggers — Houston, TX

Houston, TX, United States

On 14 Jul 2020, a Champion 7GCBC No Series operated by Texas Taildraggers was involved in an aviation accident near Houston, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor and student pilot did not properly transfer airplane control during ground rollout, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and impacting a ditch. 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

During an orientation flight, a student pilot and flight instructor fought over controls after the student misunderstood the instructor's commands, causing the airplane to exit the runway and strike a ditch, damaging the right wing.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting an orientation flight. The approach to the runway was stable, but during the ground rollout, the airplane began to veer to the left. The flight instructor stated that he said "I have the controls" on two separate occasions. However, the student pilot did not understand the instructor's commands, leading to both individuals "fighting" over the flight controls.

Runway Excursion

As a result of the control conflict, the airplane departed the runway and struck a ditch. The impact damaged the right wing of the aircraft.

Mechanical Condition

The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane prior to or during the event.

Post-Event Remarks

No further information was provided regarding the outcome of the flight or the status of the occupants.

Contributing factors

PilotStudent/instructed pilot