American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB accident near Long Beach, California, April 1, 1995
On April 1, 1995 at about 10:50 pm local time, a American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB, registered N111LS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Long Beach, California (Daugherty 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure and collapse of the left main landing gear due to a defective and improper weld by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1995 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Daugherty Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion (Acac) 8KCAB
- Registration
- N111LS · registry record · serial 740-95
- 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 AFTER TOUCHING DOWN HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCE SLIGHTLY. HE RECOVERED FROM THE BOUNCE AND CONTINUED THE LANDING. DURING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LIST EXCESSIVELY TOWARD ITS LEFT SIDE. IN SPITE OF HIS CONTROL INPUTS, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LIST UNTIL THE LEFT WING FINALLY CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT BRACKET HAD SEPARATED IN THE AREA OF THE WELD. A STEREO MICROSCOPE EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACES REVEALED A LACK OF WELD FUSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANUFACTURED IN JANUARY 1995 AND HAD ACCRUED A TOTAL OF 71.9 HOURS FLIGHT TIME WITH NO REPORTED PRIOR DAMAGE.
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: 133 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 87 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 71 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 1995; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 HIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGB at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 6,192 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from LGB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX95LA152.