Champion 7FC N7532E

Summary

On 14 October 2020 at about 20:05 local time, a Champion 7FC registered N7532E, operated by Seaplanes R Fun, Inc., was involved in an accident near Moneta, Virginia, 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

14 October 2020 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Moneta, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Smith Mountain Lake Airport (W91)

Coordinates

37.1077, -79.5925

Aircraft

Champion 7FC

Registration

N7532E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Seaplanes R Fun, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA022

Nobody was injured.

The fight instructor’s failure to ensure that the fuel selector handle was in the correct position, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was providing instruction to the private pilot in the tailwheel equipped vintage airplane. The flight instructor was seated in the rear seat and the private pilot was seated in the front seat. On the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, the flight instructor told the private pilot to apply carburetor heat. The carburetor heat knob and fuel selector handle were located near each other, behind the private pilot, who inadvertently moved the fuel selector handle, rather than the carburetor heat knob. The flight instructor moved the fuel selector handle back and took control of the airplane to demonstrate a touch-and-go landing. During subsequent initial climb, about 50 to 100 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power and the flight instructor performed a forced landing into trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. He added that it was possible that he did not position the fuel selector handle back to the correct position. Subsequent examination of the fuel selector handle by a mechanic revealed that the fuel valve operated normally. Given this information, it is likely that the flight instructor failed to position the fuel selector handle correctly, which subsequently resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.