Champion 7EC N9575S

Summary

On 10 September 2006 at about 21:50 local time, a Champion 7EC registered N9575S was involved in an accident near Clipper Mills, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 September 2006 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Clipper Mills, California, United States

Coordinates

39.5647, -121.1828

Aircraft

Champion 7EC

Registration

N9575S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paradise → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA293

2 people died.

The pilot failed to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain. A contributing factor was the pilot's impairment from ingestion of marijuana.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane's wreckage was found in mountainous terrain. Investigators found no anomalies to preclude normal operation of the airframe or engine. The owner had recently received a check out in the airplane. However, he was told not to take passengers or fly around in the mountains until receiving training in mountain flying techniques. The toxicology report for the pilot notes the finding of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC - the primary active substance in marijuana) and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH - an inactive metabolite of THC) at levels suggesting very recent use, certainly within 3 hours prior to the crash, and possibly much more recently. The pilot's judgment and/or abilities were likely impaired.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.