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Atlas / NTSB / WPR13CA179

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR13CA179

2013-04-02 Caldwell, Idaho, United States Airport · EUL None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N4687E

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CHAMPION 7CCM

Engine

CONT MOTOR C90 SERIES (95 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19561213

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A5BAA5

Registrant of record

MASLEN HOLBROOK

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's loss of directional control after an encounter with a wind gust during takeoff.

Factual narrative

The pilot and his passenger departed from the private airport in the tandem-seat, tailwheel-equipped airplane, destined for a public airport about 3 miles to the south. The pilot reported that he conducted a "short field" landing to a full stop on runway 12, and then began a takeoff from the stopping point. The airplane veered to the right, the pilot applied corrective inputs, but the airplane then exited the left side of the runway, and ground looped. Both outboard wings sustained substantial damage. Neither occupant was injured. The weather about the time of the accident included wind from 360 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions, and that he lost control due to a wind gust. The pilot and a passenger departed from a private airport in a tandem-seat, tailwheel-equipped airplane, destined for a public airport about 3 miles to the south. The pilot reported that he performed a "short field" landing to a full stop on runway 12 and then began a takeoff from the stopping point. The airplane veered to the right, the pilot applied corrective inputs, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped. Both wings sustained substantial damage. The weather about the time of the accident included wind from 360 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions and that he lost control due to a wind gust. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR13CA179.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.