NTSB Factual Report

On August 11, 2006, about 2000 eastern daylight time, N9898B, an American Champion 7EC, registered to and operated by Seminole Aviation Association Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while the pilot was maneuvering following takeoff at Manatee Airport, Palmetto, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airline-rated pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated that he took off from runway 7, at Manatee Airport, performed a climbing right turn to make a 45-degree heading change to the right, and upon reaching 200 feet altitude initiated a descending left turn to 225 degrees, in an effort to reverse course and fly along runway 25. According to the pilot, in the turn the airplane became unresponsive about the roll axis, and the airplane continued the descent in a nose low, left wing low attitude. He said he applied full right aileron, full up elevator, and full right rudder control inputs, but was unable to arrest the rate of descent. The airplane impacted the ground in a slight left wing low nose low attitude.

On August 12, 2006, an FAA inspector conducted a post accident examination of the airplane, and no preaccident anomalies were noted to exist.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in a stall.