Champion 7ECA N9580S

Summary

On 27 August 2024 at about 23:07 local time, a Champion 7ECA registered N9580S was involved in an accident near Sussex, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one 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

27 August 2024 at 23:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Sussex, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

41.2114, -74.6024

Aircraft

Champion 7ECA

Registration

N9580S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Market → New York

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA359

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to properly secure the left wing fuel cap, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was transporting the airplane from during a multi-leg trip and was on the second to last day of the trip. Prior to departure, he purchased fuel from a self-service pump and topped off both wing fuel tanks and checked that each fuel cap was properly secured. He calculated he had enough fuel for the 3.5 hour flight, plus a 40 to 50 minutes reserve, and departed. About 3 hrs. and 16 minutes into the flight, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to reach a nearby airport but made a forced landing about a mile short of the runway in trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s right wing and tail section. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left wing fuel cap was missing, and fuel streaks were observed aft of the cap toward the trailing edge of the wing. The left wing fuel tank was intact and empty of fuel. The right wing fuel cap was secure, and the tank was absent of fuel. The pilot stated that he did not have any issues with the fuel cap properly securing prior to the accident flight. The left fuel cap was never located. Based on available information, it is likely that the cap was not properly installed, and that it separated from the airplane at some point during the flight. Fuel was subsequently siphoned from the tank(s), and as a result, the engine lost power sooner than the pilot calculated due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.