Champion 7-GCAA accident near Talladega, Alabama, December 29, 2004
On December 29, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Champion 7-GCAA, registered N9588S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talladega, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The binding right wheel brake that resulted in a loss of control during landing roll. A factor was the drainage ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Talladega, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7-GCAA · all 7-GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N9588S · no longer on the register · serial 7
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, upon making a three-point landing the airplane veered aggressively to the right. He applied full left rudder with no success. He then applied full power to possibly regain rudder control with no success. He stated that the airplane continued to the right crossing a taxiway and impacting a drainage ditch before coming to a stop. The pilot did not report any flight control problems prior to landing. The pilot stated that he recently got his tailwheel signoff and had accumulated about 23 hours of total time in this airplane. Examination of the right main landing gear by a local mechanic found that the brake pucks were new and that the right main wheel had some drag to it from the new brakes. However, he continued to say that the wheel and brake were not locked, it simply would not "turn freely."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 768 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 682 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 20, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,018 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2004; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEY Murray KY at 1:35 pm
- Destination: TGA Talladega AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BHM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9588S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.