2021 American Champion 8KCAB Accident Near Marengo, Wisconsin (N843AC)

Accident Overview and Flight History On October 23, 2021, at approximately 1440 central daylight time, an American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB, registration N843AC, was destroyed in an accident near Marengo, Wisconsin. The aircraft was operating as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The pilot’s sister-in-law reported receiving a call from the pilot about five minutes before the crash, during which he mentioned he intended to fly over her house. The aircraft subsequently overflew her position at low altitude multiple times before performing a loop and crashing. Witness video captured the aircraft in a steep nose-down descent shortly before impact. Analysis of the audio from the video indicated a propeller blade passage frequency of about 80 Hz, corresponding to 2,400 rpm for the installed two-blade propeller. Another witness observed the aircraft flying 200 to 400 feet above the ground, diving toward the ground while heading west, then climbing upside down while heading south, before descending and crashing into a residential yard while heading north. A video recorded by the passenger in the rear seat showed the final maneuvers, including a negative-G maneuver, a rapid positive-G maneuver, and a steep left-wing-down bank of at least 80 degrees. The stall warning horn was audible during the final three seconds, and the video ended with the sound of impact. There was no video evidence of passenger interference with the flight controls.