American Champion 7GCBC accident near Deland, Florida, February 8, 2007
On February 8, 2007 at about 6:05 pm local time, a American Champion 7GCBC, registered N711AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deland, Florida (Bob Lee Flight Strip airport). 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare, resulting in an in-flight collision with soft terrain, and a collapse of the right main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2007 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Bob Lee Flight Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion 7GCBC
- Registration
- N711AT · no longer on the register · serial 1414-2006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was on approach to a grass airstrip, with the intention of a full stop landing. As he started to flare, the airplane went slightly south of centerline for which he applied the necessary correction, however, the airplane responded quicker than anticipated and over flew the centerline. While attempting to correct, the right landing gear hit and got stuck in a soft sandy spot on the runway, collapsing the gear leg and stopping the airplane. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,596 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 107 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aero Engines O-360-A3A2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSFB Sanford FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 1J6 Deland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,300 ft by 22 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KDAB, 14 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N711AT 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.