Champion 7GC N4861E

Summary

On 12 May 2012 at about 00:10 local time, a Champion 7GC registered N4861E was involved in an accident near Rexburg, Idaho, United States. 2 people were 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

12 May 2012 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Rexburg, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Rexburg Madison County (RXE)

Coordinates

43.8339, -111.8022

Aircraft

Champion 7GC

Registration

N4861E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rexburg → Rexburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA200

Nobody was injured.

A decrease in indicated oil pressure while maneuvering at low altitude for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during the precautionary landing to a field.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/pilot had completed two touch-and-go landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane at his home airport and then left the airport traffic pattern to overfly a property south of the airport. For the overflight, the pilot reduced the engine rpm to about 2,100 and operated at an altitude of several hundred feet above the ground. The pilot then noticed that the oil pressure indication had dropped to the bottom of the green arc. He increased the engine rpm but observed the oil pressure continue to decrease. He considered attempting to return to the airport but then decided against that due to the population density between the airport and his current position; he elected to conduct a precautionary landing in a field. On short final for the field, the pilot failed to see the power lines across the field. The airplane struck the power lines then landed hard in the field. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical abnormalities or conditions that would account for the decreased oil pressure indication, and when the engine was rotated with the starter, the oil pump was observed to produce expected pressure on the gauge and to pump oil.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.