NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR15CA041
Registry · N2563F
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CHAMPION 7ECA
Year of manufacture
1966 · 48 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19660301
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2708F
Registrant of record
HICKEY MICHAEL
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff roll.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll in a tailwheel equipped airplane, he inadvertently actuated the left brake when his left foot became entangled within the rudder pedal and control cable. The pilot stated that he then lost control of the airplane and subsequently groundlooped, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll in a tailwheel equipped airplane, he inadvertently actuated the left brake when his left foot became entangled within the rudder pedal and control cable. The pilot stated that he then lost control of the airplane and subsequently groundlooped, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2014_WPR15CA041.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.