Champion 7ECA N12028

Summary

On 29 May 1999 at about 14:45 local time, a Champion 7ECA registered N12028 was involved in an accident near Comstock, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 May 1999 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Comstock, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

45.4901, -92.0893

Aircraft

Champion 7ECA

Registration

N12028

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99FA167

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A factor contributing to this accident was the airplane's low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness heard the airplane take off from the pilot's private field, which was located approximately 1/2 mile south of the witness' home. The witness said he saw the airplane approach from the east and fly over his house. As the airplane flew over, the witness observed the airplane rocking its wings. The witness said that he waved back to the pilot. The witness lost sight of the airplane as it went over the trees. The witness said he then heard the airplane's engine 'waver as if he was rocking his wings, and then bang.' The witness said that the airplane was flying low that day, '500 feet [above the ground] was optimistic to me.' The pilot's wife was visiting her friend's farm on which the airplane crashed, when the airplane flew over. She saw her husband tip his wing once. She said that she lost sight of the airplane when it flew over her friend's barn. After she lost sight of the airplane, the pilot's wife said that there was a 'few seconds, 3, 5, or 10 seconds of silence, then I heard the crash.' The pilot's wife said that there were no unusual engine sounds which preceded the silence. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. FAA toxicology testing revealed the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid, an inactive metabolite of marijuana, in the pilot's blood and urine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.