American Champion (Acac) 7ECA accident near Hailey, Idaho, July 23, 2005
On July 23, 2005 at about 8:00 pm local time, a American Champion (Acac) 7ECA, registered N16JE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hailey, Idaho. 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 inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include a crosswind, and soft terrain just off the side of the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2005 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hailey, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion (Acac) 7ECA
- Registration
- N16JE · no longer on the register · serial 580
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial touchdown, the pilot inadvertently allowed the aircraft to bounce back into the air. At that time the aircraft encountered a crosswind gust that turned it away from the runway heading. When the aircraft touched down a second time, it was not aligned with the runway heading, and during his attempt to realign the aircraft with the runway, the pilot over-corrected, and the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway. After departing the runway, the aircraft encountered soft terrain, followed immediately by the collapse of the right main gear. According to the pilot, there was no problem with any of the aircraft's flight controls.
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: 161 hours in all; 61 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSNM Salmon ID
- Destination: KSUN Hailey ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.