2025 LeTourneau University Citabria Accident Near Longview, Texas (N798L)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On January 16, 2025, at approximately 1700 central standard time, an American Champion Aircraft 7ECA, registration N798L, sustained substantial damage near Longview, Texas. The aircraft was operated by LeTourneau University as part of a 14 CFR Part 141 flight training program. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The aircraft departed East Texas Regional Airport (GGG) at 1548 for a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight to practice soft field landings. The flight included stops at Kilgore Airport (4TX6) and Gladewater Municipal Airport (07F), where the student pilot performed a soft field landing to runway 32. The aircraft then returned to GGG, where the student pilot executed a constant forward slip down to runway 18 while the instructor shadowed the controls. The aircraft landed without incident and was taxied to the ramp for shutdown.