American Champion Aircraft 7ECA accident near Lakeport, Texas, April 15, 2024
On April 15, 2024 at about 6:23 pm local time, a 2005 American Champion Aircraft 7ECA, registered N798L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lakeport, Texas (East Texas Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2024 · about 6:23 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeport, Texas · East Texas Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 7ECA, built 2005 · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N798L · registry record · serial 1393-2005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the eleventh landing, they did not correct for a decreasing airspeed and stalled the airplane about 5 to 10 ft above the runway surface. The student pilot attempted to correct with throttle; however, the airplane dropped and impacted the runway hard on the right main landing gear followed by a ground swerve to the right then left. The right wing struck the runway which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 388 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 326 as pilot in command; 67 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 183 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,257 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 2, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-K2C (piston); 5,801 hours total
- Operator: Letourneau University
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,400 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 1:26 pm from KGGG
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KGGG 151826Z 17009KT 10SM FEW025 OVC034 25/19 A2993 RMK AO2 T02500194=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 CEN24LA171.