Champion 7AC accident near Jasper, Alabama, April 23, 2016
On April 23, 2016 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Champion 7AC, registered N82463, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Jasper, Alabama (Walker County-Bevill Field). It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind which resulted in a loss of directional control at touchdown and collapse of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2016 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Alabama · Walker County-Bevill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7AC NO SERIES · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N82463 · registry record · serial 7AC1096
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated he was landing the airplane on a paved runway with a right, gusting crosswind. According to the pilot, "On final, we were right wing low on centerline, the right wheel touched, bounced a little, the left wing touched, and bounced a little, and then the left gear collapsed and the left wingtip touched the ground and the airplane slid to a stop." When asked about the performance and handling of the airplane, the pilot stated the airplane performed "great" and that he landed with a side load on the landing gear. He added that he was used to landing on grass, and that landing on asphalt "was a lot less forgiving."
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 576 hours in all; 41 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,518 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,210 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 1,518 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20A Robbins AL at 1:55 pm
- Destination: JFX Jasper AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,004 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KJFX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2016. 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 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.