American Champion 8KCAB N390PE

Summary

On 12 September 2021 at about 13:30 local time, a American Champion 8KCAB registered N390PE was involved in an accident near Rhine, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 2021 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Rhine, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

32.0005, -83.1798

Aircraft

American Champion 8KCAB

Registration

N390PE

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21FA355

1 person died.

A collision with trees during a low-altitude aerobatic maneuver for unknown reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness, who was a friend of the pilot, stated the pilot had mentioned feeling dizzy and nauseous while performing aerobatics during a flight earlier on the day of the accident and landed due to vomiting. Later that same day, the pilot departed his private airstrip and headed to a nearby field where the witness was located with the intention of searching for birds. While the witness was in the field, the pilot flew past him and circled for a second pass. During the second pass, the pilot descended below the tree line and initiated an aileron roll. However, the pilot abruptly stopped the maneuver halfway through and the aircraft flew into the trees at full engine power. The airplane sustained impact damage to the fuselage, while the instrument panel and cockpit were destroyed. Postaccident examination of the flight control system and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. To what degree the pilot’s symptoms of dizziness and nausea from earlier in the day had resolved, persisted, or progressed at the time of the accident flight is unknown. If the pilot was still feeling unwell at the time of the flight, this may have impaired his ability to execute the aileron roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.