ERA18LA040

Factual narrative

On December 1, 2017, about 1615 eastern standard time, a Champion 7EC, N7586E, was substantially damaged while landing at Jackson County Airport (I18), Ravenswood, West Virginia. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by an individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.According to the pilot, he performed a circuit in the traffic pattern that was uneventful. The airplane was on final approach, at 50 mph and aligned with the runway centerline. The pilot then performed a three-point landing, and as the airplane's speed decreased, it began to veer to the right side of the runway. The pilot applied left aileron and full left rudder; however, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. He applied full power to attempt to abort the landing, but after about 60 ft of ground roll, the airplane went down an embankment and came to rest. The pilot then egressed without injury and noted tire marks approximately 200 ft long on the runway and an additional 100 ft in the grass prior to going off the embankment. Initial examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, and fuselage were substantially damaged. In addition, the right main landing gear separated from the airplane. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. In addition, he held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single engine and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on July 19, 2016. The pilot reported 1,756 total hours of flight time, of which, 39 hours were in the same make and model of the accident airplane. In addition, he reported no flight hours in the make and model of the accident airplane in the 90 days prior to the accident. According to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane was manufactured in 1958. It was equipped with a Continental Motors C-90 series, 90-horsepower engine that drove a Sensenich fixed pitch propeller. According to airplane maintenance logbooks, the most recent annual inspection was completed on June 13, 2017, at 2,562.4 total aircraft hours, and a tachometer time of 468.5 hours. Each of the last three annual inspections were completed approximately every other year. At the time of the accident, the tachometer indicated 468.5 hours. The 1615 recorded weather observation at Mason County Airport (3I2), Point Pleasant, West Virginia, located about 13 nautical miles west of the accident location, included calm wind, visibility 10 miles, clear skies below 12,000 ft above ground level, temperature 11°C, dew point -1°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury. In the NTSB Form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, the pilot stated that the right brake "seized upon landing." Although the right main landing gear was separated from the fuselage during the accident sequence, examination of the brake system by an FAA inspector revealed that there were no anomalies of the brakes that would have precluded normal operation. Both wheels rotated freely with no indication of brake binding or dragging. Both brake drums were smooth, and no binding was noted. The brake linings were intact, no fluid leaks were noted, and there were no mechanical anomalies. In addition, the main tires did not have any abnormal tread wear or bald spots. The commercial pilot completed one circuit in the traffic pattern that was uneventful, then performed a three-point landing. As the airplane's speed decreased, it began to veer to the right side of the runway. The pilot applied left aileron and full left rudder; however, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. He applied full power to attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane went down an embankment before it came to rest, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, and fuselage. The right main landing gear separated from the airplane during the accident sequence and, therefore, could not be tested. Although the pilot stated that the right brake "seized upon landing," an examination of the brake system did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Contributed to outcome