Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mc Kinley Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pearsall, Texas 78061
Monday, September 2, 2013 16:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in flight, the rudder cable separated. The pilot was able to return to the airport and align the airplane to land. During the landing flare, the airplane began to drift and the pilot was not able to correct the drift. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, the airplane then entered an aerodynamic stall and subsequently impacted the ground. Examination of the rudder cable separation area found localized melting, darkening, and oxidation consistent with electrical arcing. The elongation and oxidation of the overstressed wires was consistent with separation at high temperature. According to the pilot, the passenger had gotten his foot caught in the rudder cable. The pilot believed that the rudder cable came in contact with the battery at that time; the battery box did not have a cover, and the positive terminal of the battery was unguarded. The contact would have resulted in the electrical arcing and the subsequent cable separation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the rudder cable due to electrical arcing damage from contact with an unguarded battery and the pilot's subsequent loss of control during the go-around.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/2/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pearsall |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78061 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 284920N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0990632W |
| Event Location Airport | Mc Kinley Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | T30 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 586 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCOT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 474 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 39 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCOT 022053Z AUTO 09010G17KT 10SM CLR 39/16 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32181 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 21 2013 3:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9967Y |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA518 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AMERICAN CHAMPION |
| Aircraft Model | 7GCB |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7GCB-177 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 2 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2080 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KING MAURY L JR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | DILLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78017 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | KING MAURY L JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | DILLEY |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78017 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | T30 |
| Departure City | Pearsall |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | T30 |
| Destination City | Pearsall |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 16 2014 2:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |