American Champion 7GCB accident near Pearsall, Texas, September 2, 2013
On September 2, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a American Champion 7GCB, registered N9967Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Pearsall, Texas (Mc Kinley Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the rudder cable due to electrical arcing damage from contact with an unguarded battery and the pilot's subsequent loss of control during the go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pearsall, Texas · Mc Kinley Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion 7GCB
- Registration
- N9967Y · registry record · serial 7GCB-177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in flight, the rudder cable separated. The pilot was able to return to the airport and align the airplane to land. During the landing flare, the airplane began to drift and the pilot was not able to correct the drift. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, the airplane then entered an aerodynamic stall and subsequently impacted the ground. Examination of the rudder cable separation area found localized melting, darkening, and oxidation consistent with electrical arcing. The elongation and oxidation of the overstressed wires was consistent with separation at high temperature. According to the pilot, the passenger had gotten his foot caught in the rudder cable. The pilot believed that the rudder cable came in contact with the battery at that time; the battery box did not have a cover, and the positive terminal of the battery was unguarded. The contact would have resulted in the electrical arcing and the subsequent cable separation.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,761 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 17,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,080 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T30 Pearsall TX at 8:45 pm
- Destination: T30 Pearsall TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KCOT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9967Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN13LA518.