American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA accident near Baker, California, November 15, 2011
On November 15, 2011 at about 11:30 pm local time, a American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA, registered N497AC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Baker, California (Dirt 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 delayed decision to perform an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2011 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Baker, California · Dirt Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N497AC · registry record · serial 497-2005
- 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 he was part of a flight of three airplanes that had taken off from a nearby private dirt airstrip about 18 miles from the accident location. The pilots in the flight intended to land their airplanes in a clear area of a field. They overflew the intended 1,000-foot-long landing area to make sure it was clear. The accident pilot landed second, and, nearing the touchdown, noted that the wind was calm, but with periods of variability. He stated that a temporary tailwind of about 5 knots caused a higher ground speed on touchdown than he expected. As the airplane neared the end of the landing area, the pilot observed that the airplane had too much speed to stop in the remaining distance and an aborted landing was no longer possible. The pilot stated that he entered a left turn and let it progress to a controlled ground loop to avoid overrunning the landing area. The right wing hit a raised dirt area, and the right wing tip and spar, right aileron, and right landing gear and wheel were damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 820 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 31, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 683 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2011; 147 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior Vantage O-360-A3A2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: na Llano CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: na Baker CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,000 ft by 1,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PMD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.