Champion 7KCAB N1682G

Summary

On 23 April 2008 at about 21:30 local time, a Champion 7KCAB registered N1682G, operated by James V. Hamilton, was involved in an accident near Alexander City, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 April 2008 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Alexander City, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Thomas C. Russell Field (KALX)

Coordinates

32.9147, -85.9628

Aircraft

Champion 7KCAB

Registration

N1682G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James V. Hamilton

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alexander City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08CA095

Nobody was injured.

The separation of the right tail wheel spring on landing roll out for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of directional control and collision with a ditch.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was conducting a personal flight with the owner of the airplane. The owner did not have any flight time in make and model. The airplane had a pre-buy inspection conducted two days before the accident and no anomalies were noted. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection before the flight and no anomalies were noted. The pilot and the owner departed on runway 36 and remained in a left closed traffic pattern. The pilot made a three-point landing in the first 1,000 feet of the runway, and was on the landing roll out, when the tailwheel started to shimmy. He applied forward pressure on the control stick and raised the tailwheel off the runway. The shimmy ceased and the pilot applied aft pressure on the control stick and lowered the tail wheel onto the runway. The airplane immediately veered to the right. The pilot applied left brake and rudder, but the airplane continued to the right off the right side of the runway and collided with a ditch. The right main landing gear separated and the right wing received structural damage. Examination of the airplane revealed the right spring on the tailwheel control had separated from the rudder and the tailwheel attachment. The tailwheel spring was located about 20 feet off the right side of the runway and there was no visible damage to the tailwheel spring or the upper and lower attachments points. The previous owner stated that he informed the new owner of the tendency for the tailwheel to shimmy during the three-point landings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.