American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA accident near Longmont, Colorado, December 20, 2017
On December 20, 2017 at about 3:50 pm local time, a 2004 American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA, registered N519MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Longmont, Colorado (Vance Brand 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 failure of the landing gear through bolt primarily due to fatigue during a hard landing, which resulted in a landing gear collapse and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was noncompliance with the manufacturer service letter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2017 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado · Vance Brand · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA NO SERIES, built 2004 · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N519MA · registry record · serial 489-2004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and private pilot were conducting an instructional flight when the private pilot made a hard landing and the airplane bounced. The flight instructor heard a "snapping" sound during the landing and subsequently took over the flight controls. He increased engine power to compensate for the bounced landing then landed the airplane on the runway. Upon touchdown, the left landing gear collapsed up and aft. The airplane continued forward on its nose and left wing, then departed the left side of the runway. The left landing gear through bolt was found fractured. A metallurgical examination of the landing gear through bolt fracture revealed two opposing regions of fatigue comprising 80-90% of the cross-sectional area of the bolt. These were separated by a narrow region of overstress, consistent with reverse bending fatigue crack propagation, which likely grew under low stress as evidenced by the length of the fatigue cracks. The airplane was subject to a manufacturer service letter for inspection of the landing gear through bolts due to previous instances of cracking and failure. The service letter recommended that the inspections be performed on or before the next 100-hour inspection and at 100-hour intervals thereafter, and at more frequent intervals if the aircraft is used in soft or rough runway operations. The owner of the airplane was unaware of the service letter and stated that the airplane had not received the recommended inspection. Although not required, it is likely that had the service letter been complied with and the through bolt been regularly inspected, the fatigued bolt would have been replaced and the accident would have been prevented.
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
- Hard landing during landing
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Not serviced/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Not inspected
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not inspected
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,900 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 10, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 144 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,847 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 1,917 hours total
- Operator: Fly Elite Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LMO Longmont CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: LMO Longmont CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,799 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KLMO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 19, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Manufacturer Service Letter C-135 | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.