Undetermined · NTSB ERA14LA212
CHAMPION 7ECA — Taylorsville, NC
| Date | April 26, 2014 |
| Location | Taylorsville, NC |
| Aircraft | CHAMPION 7ECA |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Landing Landing area overshoot |
| Pilot age | 84 |
| Pilot total time | 855 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 112 hrs |
| Fatalities | 0 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusion-(general)-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Awareness of condition
What happened
The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, during landing at his destination airport, the tailwheel-equipped airplane struck a riding mower from behind. The airplane nosed over on top of the operator and riding mower, and the operator sustained fatal injuries.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the mower was off the right side of the 2,400-ft-long by 60-ft-wide turf runway, was traveling parallel to it while facing away from the airplane, and was about 180 ft from the end of the runway when it was struck. This evidence indicates that the pilot likely landed the airplane right of the runway centerline and not within the first one-third of the runway as recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration. If the pilot had landed within the first one-third of the runway, according to the airplane manufacturer's published landing data, he should have been able stop the airplane before reaching the mower.
Examination of the accident site and the riding mower revealed that, due to the mower's dark green color, it would have been difficult for the pilot to see it from the air because it would have blended into the green turf areas surrounding the runway. Additionally, given that the airplane was tailwheel-equipped, the engine cowling would have restricted the pilot's view of the area directly ahead of the airplane as it approached the runway in a nose-high attitude, which would have made the riding mower difficult, if not impossible, for the pilot to see.