Champion 7EC N7586E accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot completed one circuit in the traffic pattern that was uneventful, then performed a three-point landing. As the airplane's speed decreased, it began to veer to the right side of the runway. The pilot applied left aileron and full left rudder; however, the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. He applied full power to attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane went down an embankment before it came to rest, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, and fuselage. The right main landing gear separated from the airplane during the accident sequence and, therefore, could not be tested. Although the pilot stated that the right brake "seized upon landing," an examination of the brake system did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA18LA040 for the full record.