Champion 7GCB N920CJ

Summary

On 29 March 2026 at about 18:30 local time, a Champion 7GCB registered N920CJ was involved in an accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 March 2026 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Meadow Lake (FLY)

Coordinates

38.9428, -104.5699

Aircraft

Champion 7GCB

Registration

N920CJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA151

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while departing the runway in gusty wind conditions, he encountered a left crosswind and which deviated the airplane from his intended flight path. The pilot determined that he did not have enough time to recover and elected to land on an adjacent grass runway. Upon landing, the airplane’s left main landing gear touched down hard and collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, he reported that the accident could have been prevented by maintaining conservative personal minimums for gusty and crosswind conditions and that continued training in gusty crosswinds can enhance safety.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.