Champion 7AC N84462

Summary

On 7 November 2014 at about 16:00 local time, a Champion 7AC registered N84462 was involved in an accident near Darby, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 November 2014 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Darby, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.9781, -114.1550

Aircraft

Champion 7AC

Registration

N84462

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Conner → Conner

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15LA036

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.   

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that he was attempting to land the light sport airplane on a private grass airstrip surrounded by mountainous terrain. While maneuvering for landing, the airplane suddenly entered into a steep, right-wing-low bank. The wings then leveled momentarily before the airplane impacted the ground. The passenger in the rear seat of the airplane stated that he felt a downdraft or windshear just prior to impact. A post-accident examination of the airplane found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the wind as light and variable with 5-10 knot gusts; however, he stated that during previous flights in the area, he experienced unexpected severe gusts and terrain-induced turbulence, followed by complete calm. The airplane was not equipped with a stall warning system or flaps. Since the airplane was maneuvering for landing approach at low airspeed, a sudden gust of wind or shift in wind speed or direction could have resulted in a rapid loss of airspeed, followed by an aerodynamic stall as the airplane reached its critical angle-of-attack. Due to the airplane's low altitude, the pilot likely did not have sufficient time to recover from the stalled condition prior to impacting terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.