Champion BL-7-GCBC accident near Upham, ND
On September 26, 1998, a Champion BL-7-GCBC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Upham, ND. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 26, 1998
- Place
- Upham, ND
- Aircraft
- Champion BL-7-GCBC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 48.580°N, 100.720°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X11029
NTSB summary
On September 26, 1998, at 1430 central daylight time, a Champion BL-7-GCBC, N311DM, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during a collision with the ground and post impact fire following a loss of control in flight while maneuvering over a field under harvest. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed a restricted landing area near Upham, North Dakota, exact time unknown. According to one witness, the airplane made "...a low pass over his brother [who was] loading bales." The witness said the airplane began a climb after making the low pass. He said it climbed to about 400 or 500-feet above the ground. The witness said the airplane then "...appeared to be in a spin, vertical into the ground." The North Dakota Highway Patrol field report said that a witness observed the airplane "...go up at a steep angle, then [make] a left turn and fall in a spiral to the ground." The on-scene examination was conducted by 2 Federal Aviation Administration Principal Maintenance Inspectors (PMI). Their investigation revealed no airframe, flight control or engine anomalies that would interfere with normal flight. One propeller blade was bent aft 90-degrees at the hub, about 6-inches of its tip was missing. The second blade had a slight aft bend at the tip. According to the PMI s report, "It appears the aircraft impacted almost vertically." According to the pilot's logbook, he had a total time of 137.4 hours in the Champi
Probable cause
The pilot's steep pull and failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane's handling qualities, and a lack of recent experience in the airplane.
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Browse: North Dakota · 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.
