Champion 7BCM N7620B

Summary

On 30 April 2016 at about 14:57 local time, a Champion 7BCM registered N7620B, operated by Commemorative Air Force, was involved in an accident near Tyrone, Georgia, 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

30 April 2016 at 14:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyrone, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

33.4756, -84.5594

Aircraft

Champion 7BCM

Registration

N7620B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Commemorative Air Force

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Peachtree City → Peachtree City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA172

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was conducting a revenue sightseeing flight with one passenger onboard. During cruise flight, while the airplane was level at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine began to lose power. The pilot applied carburetor heat with no improvement; the engine speed remained at 2,000 rpm. He then turned the carburetor heat off and checked the magnetos and noted no significant change in performance. He then reapplied carburetor heat with no improvement; the pilot left the heat on for the remainder of the flight. The airplane would not maintain altitude, so he conducted a forced landing in a grass field. After touchdown, the airplane nosed down in high vegetation, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained structural damage to the forward fuselage and engine firewall. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation, and there was sufficient fuel onboard at the time of the accident. Although the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power, the pilot applied carburetor heat twice, which should have melted any existing ice, but power was not restored. Therefore, the investigation could not determine the reason for the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.