Champion Aeronca 7BCM accident near Pahokee, FL
On March 18, 2003, a Champion Aeronca 7BCM (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pahokee, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 18, 2003
- Place
- Pahokee, FL
- Aircraft
- Champion Aeronca 7BCM · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 26.783°N, 80.683°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030324X00375
Official records · MIA03FA077
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 18, 2003, about 1755 eastern standard time, a Champion Aeronca 7BCM, N2517E, registered to an individual, impacted with the terrain while maneuvering near Pahokee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan was filed. The other work use flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The flight had originated from the Belle Glade Airport, Florida, at 1700. According to two witnesses to the accident, the airplane was flying over a sugar cane field for the purpose of chasing birds. The witnesses said the airplane had made a low pass over the field to the west then started a steep climbing turn to the northwest (right). According to one witness, "...as he was about to turn back into the field it was obvious he was in trouble (did not have enough room to recover) not sure if engine quit or he killed the power to recover." The witness said he saw the airplane "stall" and impact the ground. The other witness reported that the airplane was turning, "did not pull up" and hit the ground "at about 30 degrees from vertical." The witnesses indicated that the wind was from the west, and the airplane was turning from upwind to downwind when the accident occurred. In a written statement, the owner of the airplane reported that the airplane was doing "agricultural work" about 10 miles north-northwest of the Belle Glade Airport. The owner wrote that "two eye-witnesses at the crash site said the aircraft had been working for about 45 min. The eye-witnesses r
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall while maneuvering.
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Browse: Florida · 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.
