American Champion 8GCBC N636DB

Summary

On 2 March 2026 at about 02:20 local time, a American Champion 8GCBC registered N636DB was involved in an accident near Carefree, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 March 2026 at 02:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Carefree, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

SkyRanch (18AZ)

Coordinates

33.8186, -111.8981

Aircraft

American Champion 8GCBC

Registration

N636DB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2023

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Payson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR26LA114

1 person had minor injuries.

<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:108%;font-size:12pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><br /><span style="font-family:'Roboto';background-color:#ffffff;">The pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with a known mechanical defect, and the improper application of the main wheel brakes, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.</span></p>

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he landed the tailwheel equipped airplane at a backcountry airstrip, and while taxiing on rough terrain, the tailwheel spring failed and the tailwheel assembly separated from the airplane. The pilot shut down the airplane and exited to inspect and retrieve the tailwheel assembly. He then decided to depart, using engine power to lift the tail off the ground for the take-off roll, and return to his home airport where he planned to land and hold the airplane’s tail off the ground as long as possible. The pilot completed a successful wheel landing, but as the airplane slowed during the landing roll it tipped forward and nosed over, coming to rest inverted on the dirt runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame, wings, vertical stabilizer, ailerons, elevators, rudder, and wing lift struts. The pilot reported that he may have inadvertently applied more main-wheel braking pressure than necessary while trying to keep the tail off the ground, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. Other than the previously damaged tailwheel assembly, the pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.