Champion 7ECA
Athens, TX — February 27, 2020
Event Information
| Date | February 27, 2020 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN20CA104 |
| Event ID | 20200228X25529 |
| Location | Athens, TX |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 32.42000, -95.82000 |
| Airport | PRIVATE AIRSTRIP |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | Champion |
| Model | 7ECA |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The rear seat pilot and the student pilot's failure to see and avoid trees during initial climb following an aborted landing.
Full Narrative
The pilot-in-command (PIC) in the back seat reported that the flight was conducted to familiarize the student pilot, in the front seat, with the private airstrip and surrounding obstacles. The airplane touched down "a little" long and bounced. The student pilot aborted the landing and initiated a "max performance" climb. The PIC reported that he had briefed the student pilot as to the obstacles around the departure end of the runway, but the PIC was unable to actually see the obstacles from the rear seat during climb out. The airplane's left wing collided with a tree that was left of the runway centerline. The right wing also struck a tree before the airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. The airplane sustained damage to the engine mount, fuselage and both wings. The PIC reported there were no anomalies with the airplane.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.