American Champion 8KCAB N157WB

Summary

On 13 December 2025 at about 17:45 local time, a American Champion 8KCAB registered N157WB was involved in an accident near Irvington, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

13 December 2025 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Irvington, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Roy E Ray (5R7)

Coordinates

30.4492, -88.2114

Aircraft

American Champion 8KCAB

Registration

N157WB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Roscoe Field Airport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26FA067

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On December 13, 2025, about 1145 central standard time, an American Champion Decathlon, N157WB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Roy E. Ray Airfield (5R7), Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to a witness, the pilot arrived at 5R7 to retrieve two repacked parachutes, which were loaded into the airplane before departure. Security video from a nearby residence captured the airplane departing runway 18 at approximately 1145. The airplane was visible briefly after rotation; however, the audio recording captured the sound of the airplane for about 15 seconds after liftoff, followed by the sound of impact. The same witness reported that the airplane lifted off and remained low while accelerating. Near the south end of the runway, the airplane pitched up, rolled left through approximately 270 degrees from its original heading, and descended into a wooded area at a steep angle. The wreckage was located in a heavily wooded area approximately one-quarter mile west of the departure end of runway 18. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude, and broken tree limbs were observed above the main wreckage. The airplane was oriented on an approximate 011-degree magnetic heading. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The fuselage exhibited buckling from the nose through the empennage, with crush and twisting damage observed throughout the airframe. All flight control surfaces remained attached to their mounts. Examination revealed continuity of the aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.