N7570E

On June 27, 2003, at 1545 eastern daylight time, an American Champion 7EC, N7570E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Mason County Airport (3I2), Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot received minor injures. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to a statement provided by the CFI, he and the student had just completed a 2-hour instructional flight. After landing on runway 25, a 4,000-foot-long, 75-foot-wide asphalt runway, the airplane was stopped, and the pilots switched cockpit positions, so that the CFI could fly. The CFI conducted a series of touch and go landings to runway 25. After successfully completing a third landing, the CFI advanced the throttle and the airplane began to accelerate normally. At approximately 50 miles per hour, the CFI raised the tailwheel, and the airplane began to swerve to the right. The CFI applied left rudder and aileron to correct the swerve, but despite the corrections, the airplane continued its path toward trees located east of the runway. At that point, the CFI decided to reduce the power, and the airplane struck a tree.

The CFI and student pilot did not report experiencing any malfunctions with the airframe or engine during the flight.

Examination of the wreckage by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any abnormalities with the airplane's flight controls. At the same inspection, the FAA inspector noted damage to the right wing and tail section.

The CFI reported 6,550 hours of total flight experience, which included 30 hours in the same make and model of the accident airplane.

A weather observation at the Tri-State Airport, located southwest of 3I2, at 1551, reported winds variable at 4 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, sky conditions broken at 5,000 feet, temperature 73 degree Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter setting 30.05 inches of Hg.