Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing rollout, which resulted in a collision with trees.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that, during the landing rollout, a strong wind gust caused him to lose directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off of the runway and collided with trees. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the wing spars. A witness at the airport confirmed the weather anomaly at the time of the accident. The nearest airport's weather observation system reported at the time of the accident that the wind was light and variable.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11CA303 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- May 1, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Moultonboro, New Hampshire
- Nearest airport
- Moultonboro Airport (5M3)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Champion 7EC-703
- N-number
- N61980
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.