American Champion 7GCAA accident near Creve Couer, Missouri, April 8, 2010
On April 8, 2010 at about 5:05 pm local time, a American Champion 7GCAA, registered N1957C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Creve Couer, Missouri (Creve Coeur airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot's failure to go-around during a simulated engine failure and the instructor pilot's delay in remedial actions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2010 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Creve Couer, Missouri · Creve Coeur · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion 7GCAA
- Registration
- N1957C · registry record · serial 470-2002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flying pilot and owner of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was practicing touch-and-go landings from the front seat with an instructor pilot in the rear seat. After the flying pilot successfully completed four normal takeoff and landings and two downwind landings, the instructor pilot pulled out the carburetor heat and pulled the throttle to idle while on downwind to simulate an engine failure. The flying pilot turned toward the grass runway. The instructor pilot reported that the airplane was not positioned for a safe landing and he expected the flying pilot to go around. When a go-around was not initiated by the flying pilot, the instructor pilot called out “go around” and, soon after, he moved the throttle to full open. The airplane bounced and landed hard, damaging the landing gear and right wing tip. The flying pilot reported that a go-around should be initiated at "an earlier stage while simulating an engine out."
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
What happened, in order
- Simulated/training event during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR go-around)
- Abnormal runway contact during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 374 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,839 hours in all; 107 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 Creve Couer MO at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 1H0 Creve Couer MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,120 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA197.