American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB accident near Hyannis, Nebraska, January 20, 2023
On January 20, 2023 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2012 American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB, registered N717DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hyannis, Nebraska (Grant County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a snowbank during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2023 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hyannis, Nebraska · Grant County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB, built 2012 · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N717DJ · no longer on the register · serial 1121-2012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll of a night landing, the airplane contacted a 12-inch high snowbank on the right side of the runway and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there was about 15 ft of unplowed snow on the right side of the runway and about 6ft of unplowed snow on the left side of the 50 ft wide runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 12, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,336 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 19, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flying W Ranch
The flight
- Departed from: 69K Wamego KS at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,970 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KAIA, 46 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAIA 210053Z AUTO 27004KT 10SM CLR M07/M09 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP260 T10721089=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 2, 2023. 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 | CEN23LA090 Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | August 28, 2023 Revisions to Final Report | PDF, 5 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.