American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB accident near Mojave, California, May 2, 2025
On May 2, 2025 at about 9:38 pm local time, a 2022 American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB, registered N538EE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mojave, California (Mojave Air And Space Port/Ruta 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during climb out from an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 2025 · about 9:38 pm local time
- Place
- Mojave, California · Mojave Air And Space Port/Ruta · 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, built 2022 · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N538EE · registry record · serial 1205-2022
- 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 landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he was having difficulty maintaining the runway centerline. He therefore decided to abort the landing and added power. During takeoff, he noticed the airplane had difficulty climbing and was drifting off the runway heading. Subsequently, he turned back toward the runway and subsequently the airplane when into a stall and impacted nose down. During the accident sequence, substantial damage was sustained to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (landing roll) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 9,170 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 19.1 in the last 90 days; 5.2 in the last 30 days; 9,170 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 166.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B (piston); 179 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 9:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,049 ft by 104 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:20 pm from KMHV, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMHV 022120Z AUTO 26006KT 10SM CLR 28/M00 A2993 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR25LA149.