What happened
On December 13, 2025, at approximately 11:45 CST, an American Champion Decathlon, registration N157WB, was destroyed following an accident near Roy E. Ray Airfield (5R7) in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use. The pilot was traveling to the airfield to retrieve two repacked parachutes, which were loaded into the aircraft prior to the flight.
Security footage from a nearby residence showed the aircraft departing runway 18. While the aircraft was visible briefly after rotation, audio from the recording captured the sound of the engine for approximately 15 seconds after liftoff, followed by the sound of an impact. A witness reported that the airplane remained at a low altitude during acceleration, then pitched up and rolled left approximately 270 degrees from its original heading before descending into a wooded area at a steep angle.
The wreckage was found about one-quarter mile west of the departure end of runway 18. The aircraft came to rest in a nose-down position, with broken tree limbs located above the main wreckage site. All major components of the aircraft were recovered at the scene.
The investigation
The wreckage exhibited buckling from the nose through the empennage, along with widespread crush and twisting damage throughout the airframe. Investigators confirmed that all flight control surfaces remained attached to their mounts and found that the aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems maintained continuity. The aircraft was retained for further examination.