Champion 7FC N7690E

Summary

On 20 June 2004 at about 22:00 local time, a Champion 7FC registered N7690E was involved in an accident near Carmi, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 June 2004 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Carmi, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Carmi Muni (CUL)

Coordinates

38.0894, -88.1231

Aircraft

Champion 7FC

Registration

N7690E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Evansville → Carmi

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA160

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, his decision to continue the takeoff when the aircraft had left the runway surface, and his selection of unsuitable terrain for the continued takeoff. An additional cause was the pilot's failure to maintain clearance to the terrain during the initial climb. Contributing factors were the wheat field "stubble" (high vegetation) and the ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain shortly after takeoff from runway 36. The pilot reported completing three touch and goes "in a normal manner." He stated that on the fourth landing, after the tail wheel had touched down, he applied full engine power for takeoff. The airplane "suddenly swerved to the right and went into the grass east of the runway." The pilot elected to takeoff on a northeasterly heading from the grass area and the taxiway. During the attempted takeoff, the aircraft encountered a harvested wheat field adjacent to the airport. The aircraft became airborne in a right wing low attitude, causing the aircraft to turn toward the south. The pilot reported that the engine power "seemed to fade" and he landed on a southerly heading in a five-foot deep ditch adjacent to the wheat field. The right wing impacted the ground, twisting the fuselage and collapsing the landing gear. The pilot stated that he may have applied the right heel brake during the landing roll resulting in a loss of directional control. He also noted that the wheat field stubble was "high and made the attempted take off very difficult." He also noted that carburetor icing may have been responsible for the "apparent lack of full power response." The temperature and dew point recorded by the CUL Automated Weather Observing System at 1645 were 25 and 7 degrees Celsius, respectively. Carburetor icing data obtained from Transport Canada indicates a possibility of carburetor icing at descent power under those conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.