American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB accident near Giddings, Texas, June 24, 2002
On June 24, 2002 at about 4:00 pm local time, a American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB, registered N83DH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Giddings, Texas (Giddings-Lee County Arpt 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 failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control during the landing rollout. A contributing factor was the subsequent inadvertent ground loop of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2002 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Giddings, Texas · Giddings-Lee County Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB
- Registration
- N83DH · registry record · serial 786-96
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was landing on runway 17, and the airplane suddenly veered "hard" to the right and exited the runway. The left main axle support structure failed, and the left main wheel separated from the airplane. The left strut dug into the ground, and the airplane came to rest on its left wing. The outer 6 feet of the left wing was bent up approximately 35 degrees, and the left side of the elevator was bent. The pilot estimated the wind, at the time of the accident, to be 240 degrees at 3 to 5 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 563 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 471 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 166 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2002; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 H1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYQ Houston TX at 3:15 pm
- Destination: 62H Giddings TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,998 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CLL, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N83DH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.