2025 American Champion Decathlon Accident at Bayou La Batre, Alabama (N157WB)

Accident Overview and Initial Sequence of Events On December 13, 2025, at approximately 1145 central standard time, an American Champion Decathlon, N157WB, was destroyed in an accident near Roy E. Ray Airfield (5R7) in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A witness stated that the pilot had arrived at the airfield to retrieve two repacked parachutes, which were loaded into the aircraft before departure. Security video from a nearby residence recorded the aircraft departing runway 18 at approximately 1145. The aircraft was visible briefly after rotation, and the audio recording captured the sound of the aircraft for about 15 seconds after liftoff, followed by the sound of impact. The same witness reported that the aircraft lifted off and remained low while accelerating. Near the south end of the runway, the aircraft pitched up, rolled left through approximately 270 degrees from its original heading, and descended into a wooded area at a steep angle. ## Wreckage Location and Airframe Examination The wreckage was located in a heavily wooded area approximately one-quarter mile west of the departure end of runway 18. The aircraft came to rest in a nose-down attitude, with broken tree limbs observed above the main wreckage. The aircraft was oriented on an approximate 011-degree magnetic heading, and all major components were located at the accident site. The fuselage exhibited buckling from the nose through the empennage, with crush and twisting damage observed throughout the airframe. All flight control surfaces remained attached to their mounts, and examination revealed continuity of the aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems. The aircraft was recovered and retained for further examination.