N2987Z

Substantial
Minor

Champion 7ECAS/N: 1246-78

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, February 27, 2020
NTSB Number
CEN20CA104
Location
Athens, TX
Event ID
20200228X25529
Coordinates
32.419998, -95.819999
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
1
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The rear seat pilot and the student pilot's failure to see and avoid trees during initial climb following an aborted landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N2987Z
Make
CHAMPION
Serial Number
1246-78
Year Built
1978
Model / ICAO
7ECA

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
SALE REPORTED
Address
25 LAFAYETTE 21
Status
Deregistered
City
STAMAS
State / Zip Code
AR 71860
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot-in-command (PIC) in the back seat reported that the flight was conducted to familiarize the student pilot, in the front seat, with the private airstrip and surrounding obstacles. The airplane touched down "a little" long and bounced. The student pilot aborted the landing and initiated a "max performance" climb. The PIC reported that he had briefed the student pilot as to the obstacles around the departure end of the runway, but the PIC was unable to actually see the obstacles from the rear seat during climb out. The airplane's left wing collided with a tree that was left of the runway centerline. The right wing also struck a tree before the airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. The airplane sustained damage to the engine mount, fuselage and both wings. The PIC reported there were no anomalies with the airplane.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN20CA104