American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB accident near Ferguson, Florida, July 1, 2017
On July 1, 2017 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 2014 American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB, registered N157WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ferguson, Florida (Ferguson 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 directional control during the landing roll in crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2017 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Ferguson, Florida · Ferguson · 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 NO SERIES, built 2014 · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N157WB · registry record · serial 1139-2014
- 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, during the landing roll on the grass runway, the airplane began to veer to the right before the tailwheel was down. He added that he applied left rudder; however, the airplane pitched forward, and the propeller struck the ground. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest inverted off the right side of the grass runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and right wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 3 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 10 knots. The pilot landed on runway 18.
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 defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,140 hours in all; 21.2 in this make and model; 29.5 in the last 90 days; 15.3 in the last 30 days; 3,681 as pilot in command; 1,170 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 14, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 262.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B (piston); 262 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 82J Ferguson FL at 7:50 pm
- Destination: 82J Ferguson FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,200 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KNPA, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N157WB 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.