N16JE

On July 23, 2005, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, an American Champion 7ECA, N16JE, experienced a collapse of its right main landing gear leg after the aircraft departed the side of the runway during the landing roll at Friedman Memorial Airport, Hailey, Idaho. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Salmon, Idaho, about two hours prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. The ELT, which was activated by the accident sequence, was turned off at the scene.

According to the pilot, during the initial touchdown, he inadvertently allowed the aircraft to bounce back into the air. The aircraft then 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 according to the pilot, during his attempt to realign the aircraft with the runway, he 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.