Champion 7EC N4337C

Summary

On 7 October 2024 at about 17:40 local time, a Champion 7EC registered N4337C was involved in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

7 October 2024 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.9601, -97.5047

Aircraft

Champion 7EC

Registration

N4337C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Worth → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25FA005

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On October 7, 2024, about 1240 central daylight time, a Champion 7EC airplane, N4337C, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot’s family, the airplane was based at the Flying Oaks Airport (2TE2), Fort Worth, Texas. The purpose of the local area flight was for the pilot to depart from 2TE2, land and have lunch at an unknown location, and then return to 2TE2. A preliminary review of security video footage, located on private property on the shore of Eagle Mountain Lake (a large freshwater reservoir), showed the tailwheel-equipped airplane gradually descend about a 45° angle into the water. The airplane came to rest nose down in about 10 ft of water. The video footage showed the airplane to be structurally intact before the impact with water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The wreckage was recovered from Eagle Mountain Lake, and it was transported to a secure location for a future examination. The right wing and part of the engine were not recovered from the water. The airplane, known as a Champ, was equipped with a Continental Motors O-200A reciprocating engine and a McCauley MCM6950 two-blade fixed pitch aluminum propeller. A search revealed no Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data associated with the accident flight. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records showed that the pilot held a private pilot certificate (with an airplane single engine land rating), and his most recent FAA medical certificate (third class), was issued on December 15, 2008. FAA registration records showed that the pilot purchased the airplane on November 5, 2004.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.