Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / WPR23LA030

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR23LA030

2022-11-11 Payson, Arizona, United States Airport · N/A Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N615DD

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8GCBC

Year of manufacture

2021 · 1 years old at event

TCDS

A21CE · AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT CORP

Engine

LYCOMING IO-390-A1B6 (210 hp)

Seats / Engines

3 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20210813

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A801A0

Registrant of record

SHADY AVIATION LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper decision to takeoff from an unimproved airstrip with insufficient takeoff distance which, resulted in a runway overrun and collision with vegetation.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, he was attempting to takeoff from an approximate 800 ft long unimproved dirt, curved and slightly upslope backcountry airstrip that had about 200 ft that was unusable. The pilot configured the airplane for a short field takeoff toward the downhill. The pilot reported that when the airplane reached the end of the airstrip, the airplane did not have sufficient speed to fly and lifted off the ground slightly, then settled back to the ground. The airplane traveled off the end of the airstrip and collided with vegetation. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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).

  • Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Ability to respond/compensate

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_WPR23LA030.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.