Champion 7-GCBC accident near Creswell, OR
On January 19, 1997, a Champion 7-GCBC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Creswell, OR. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 19, 1997
- Place
- Creswell, OR
- Aircraft
- Champion 7-GCBC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.899°N, 123.020°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07357
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 19, 1997, approximately 1240 Pacific standard time a Champion 7-GCBC, N9677S, operated by Cottage Grove Aviation, and being flown by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in flight collision with terrain following a loss of control in flight while maneuvering near Creswell, Oregon. The pilot-in-command and passenger were both fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal in nature, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from the Cottage Grove airport, Cottage Grove, Oregon, shortly after noon. Several adults heard or witnessed the accident. One ear-witness described hearing a "loud pop followed by 5 seconds of fluttering and (the) thud." He characterized the sound as "just like an old paper kite that you broke in a strong wind with the loud pop of the wood followed by the flutter of the paper (or canvas) as it dove to the ground" (refer to statement of Paul Spicer). One eye-witness reported hearing the aircraft's engine "winding up" followed by silence. This event was repeated several times after which the witness acquired visual contact with the aircraft. He reported that when he saw the aircraft it was "pointed straight down towards the ground and was spinning relatively slow(ly) as it came down." He further stated that he "could hear a noise like a 'flag flapping in a very stiff wind'" and that it appeared that the "end of one of the wings was missing and some of the sheet metal had torn loose and was causing the 'flapping' sound" (refer to state
Probable cause
the pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the aircraft, while recovering from a spin, which resulted in failure and separation of the right wing tip and adjacent wing fabric (skin).
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
- Piper PA-28-180, Sep 1, 1984
- Piper PA-28RT-201, Mar 12, 1984
- Piper PA 46-310P, Apr 7, 2017
- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon · Champion aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
