Champion 7EC CFOJT

Summary

On 17 October 1997 at about 21:00 local time, a Champion 7EC registered CFOJT was involved in an accident near Galata, Montana, 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

17 October 1997 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Galata, Montana, United States

Coordinates

48.7097, -111.3501

Aircraft

Champion 7EC

Registration

CFOJT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Shelby

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98LA003

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to adequately perform preflight planning (prior to the precautionary landing and prior to the subsequent takeoff), his selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the fence during the takeoff. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had just purchased the airplane in Canada and was ferrying it back to his home. After departing from an airport, he realized that the airplane was running low on fuel, so he performed a precautionary landing in a field. After fueling the airplane with 9 gallons of automotive gasoline from a nearby gas station, he decided to take off from the stubble field. He initiated the takeoff in a southbound direction approximately 790 feet from a barbed wire fence. After rolling 525 feet, he altered his takeoff direction to the southeast. The airplane became airborne about 130 feet from the fence. It then struck a post on the fence and proceeded to pull a barbed wire strand with it for approximately 50 feet. The strand held fast and yawed the aircraft left. The propeller impacted the ground approximately 70 feet southeast of the fence, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot also reported that the engine was 'fully firing' and that there were no perceived mechanical problems with the airplane during takeoff. He also stated that he should have taxied '...further back to increase margin of takeoff run.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.