N11099

On February 1, 1997, about 1635 Pacific standard time, a Champion 7ECA, N11099, was substantially damaged in a collision with a ravine following a loss of control during a high-speed taxi at Bandon State Airport, Bandon, Oregon. The accident occurred during an instructional event for a tailwheel aircraft checkout. The commercial pilot-in-command, who was a certificated flight instructor (CFI), and the student, a private pilot, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight.

The instructor reported:

I was giving taxi instruction to [the pilot-rated student] and upon slowing from a high speed taxi the aircraft began to depart runway 34 to the left. I took control with full rudder, full power and a lot of [right] aileron[,] enough in fact to drag the [right] wing on the runway. This turned the plane to the right about 45 [degrees;] I didn't have enough rudder authority to get the plane straight or headed down the runway before coming to a ravine on the east side of the runway[.]

The aircraft impacted the east slope of the ravine, which runs parallel to the runway to the right of the departure end of runway 34. The instructor reported that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident. He reported winds at the time as being from 180 degrees magnetic at 3 knots.