Champion 7EC N80461

Summary

On 21 June 2023 at about 18:30 local time, a Champion 7EC registered N80461 was involved in an accident near Waunakee, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 2023 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Waunakee, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.1842, -89.4526

Aircraft

Champion 7EC

Registration

N80461

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waunakee → Neenah

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA250

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power during the initial takeoff climb due to a worn manual fuel primer pump locking mechanism, which resulted in an unlocked primer and an overly rich fuel mixture.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot purchased the airplane on the day of the accident and was planning to fly it to another airport. On the morning of the accident, a mechanic completed an annual inspection on the airplane. During the preflight inspection and the runup, no anomalies were noticed by the pilot. During the initial takeoff climb, the pilot noticed a decrease in the engine rpm. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and he was unable to identify what caused the partial loss of engine power. Shortly thereafter, the engine sustained a total loss of engine power, and the pilot performed a forced landing. Upon touchdown to a residential road, the airplane impacted a tree and an unoccupied motor vehicle. The airplane came to rest upright in the rear of another unoccupied motor vehicle. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed significant wear of the locking mechanism on the manual fuel primer pump: only a narrow portion of the retaining lip was left to engage with the retaining pin. It is likely that a slight movement or vibration caused the retaining pin to move around the small piece of retaining lip that remained, resulting in the fuel primer pump becoming unlocked and extending. The spark plugs were found in a carbon fouled condition, consistent with an overly rich mixture. The fuel primer pump position and the condition of the spark plugs indicate that the total loss of engine power was likely due to an overly rich mixture resulting from excess fuel being pulled through the fuel pump primer and into the engine’s intake system when power was applied.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.