Champion 7ECA N9650S
6 May 2008 · Soldotna, Alaska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 6 May 2008 at about 00:08 local time, a Champion 7ECA registered N9650S was involved in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and 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.
The record
- Date
- at 00:08
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Soldotna, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private
- Coordinates
- 60.5317, -150.9995
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA
- Registration
- N9650S
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Soldotna → Anchorage
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC08LA061
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to remove the rudder gust lock prior to the flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The solo private pilot was departing from a private gravel runway on a personal cross-country flight when he lost directional control. The pilot said the airplane drifted off the runway during takeoff/initial climb and impacted trees. The airplane then impacted terrain in a steep nose low attitude. The pilot said he had neglected to remove the rudder gust lock, and that once airborne, he was unable to control the airplane's direction of flight. The airplane received structural damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Champion 7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2008 | Champion 7KCAB | Alexander City, Alabama, United States | James V. Hamilton | No injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 2007 | Champion 7ECA | Nashua, New Hampshire, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jun 2009 | Champion 7ECA | Nome, Alaska, United States | Mike Quinn | No injuries | - |
| 6 Mar 2009 | Champion 7FC | Thomas, Oklahoma, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 May 2009 | Champion 7GCBC | Surrey, North Dakota, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Champion 7ECA | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Stephen H Whitson | Fatal | 2 |
All 1,471 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct 2008 | Antonovich Anton B CHALLENGER II | Chugiak, Alaska, United States | Richard H. Roiland | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Jul 2008 | De Havilland DHC-3 | Iliamna, Alaska, United States | Rainbow King Lodge Inc | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2008 | Cessna 208B | Bethel, Alaska, United States | Grant Aviation Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | Servant Air, Inc. | Fatal | 6 |
| 9 Oct 2008 | Cessna A185F | Kenai, Alaska, United States | Alaska Department of Public Safety | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 2008 | Cessna 172 | Chugiak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |