Champion 7EC accident near Highgate, Vermont, June 25, 2026
On June 25, 2026 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 1955 Champion 7EC, registered N4346C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Highgate, Vermont (Franklin County State 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2026 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Highgate, Vermont · Franklin County State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC, built 1955 · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N4346C · registry record · serial 7EC-365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that upon touching down on the turf runway, the tailwheel-equipped airplane began a “moderate excursion to the right” and that he applied left rudder and brakes to correct. The airplane then veered left and nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and the lift struts of both wings. The pilot stated that the turf along the airplane’s landing roll path was “torn up,” and was likely the result of excessive braking. The pilot also reported that while he had extensive experience flying tailwheel equipped airplanes they had all been fitted with modern hydraulically actuated braking systems, while the accident airplane was equipped with the original mechanical/drum brakes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- 550096 during descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, AME, ASE, IAIR, APLN, none
- Flight time: 3,461 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 14, 2024
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,045 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, November 6, 2025; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-90-12-F (piston); 2,045 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 30.030001 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from FSO
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFSO 251815Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 25/13 A3003 RMK AO2 T02470133
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ERA26LA260.