Champion AERONCA 7GCB N9908Y

Summary

On 15 July 1996 at about 23:15 local time, a Champion AERONCA 7GCB registered N9908Y was involved in an accident near Fairhope, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 1996 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairhope, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

30.5094, -87.8800

Aircraft

Champion AERONCA 7GCB

Registration

N9908Y

Category

Airplane

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

MIA96FA185

1 person died.

failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while manuevering at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled impact with the water. The pilot's ostentatious display and the lack of altitude to recover from a stall were related factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passenger stated the pilot descended the aircraft toward the water, then entered a steep climb. The passenger then noticed the aircraft was descending in a near vertical descent toward the water, where it crashed. Witnesses observed the aircraft descending toward the water, then pull up into a steep climb. After reaching about 200 feet, the right wing and nose dropped, and the aircraft descended nose first until impact with the water. Other witnesses had observed the aircraft in wing-over maneuvers at a low altitude over the water on the day before. Friends of the passenger, who flew with the pilot the day before, stated he had been performing wing-over maneuvers close to the water. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was estimated to be 97 pounds over the maximum allowable gross weight. Postcrash examination of the aircraft showed no evidence pre-crash failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure, floats, flight controls, or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.