Champion 7ECA N9611S

Summary

On 3 April 2016 at about 17:30 local time, a Champion 7ECA registered N9611S, operated by Jerry D. Barnhill, was involved in an accident near Kinder, Louisiana, 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

3 April 2016 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kinder, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.2314, -92.5842

Aircraft

Champion 7ECA

Registration

N9611S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Jerry D. Barnhill

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jennings → Kinder

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA175

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing, an airstrip excursion, impact with a fence and the subsequent airplane fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, after performing a local flight, he made a normal approach to a dirt and grass covered airstrip. He reported that he executed a wheel landing and the airplane veered left of the airstrip heading as the left main landing gear began to sink into the mud. The airplane struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest nose down in a water filled ditch. The pilot reported that he shut off the aircraft systems and he and his passenger exited the airplane; however, he reported that he did see fuel leaking from the fuel tanks as a result of the angle at which the airplane came to rest. The pilot recounted that as he and his passenger were walking away from the airplane they heard the fuel ignite and the airplane became engulfed with flames. The airplane sustained substantial fire damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.