Champion 7HC accident near Centre, AL
On April 4, 2009, a Champion 7HC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Centre, AL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 4, 2009
- Place
- Centre, AL
- Aircraft
- Champion 7HC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.165°N, 85.635°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090404X75354
Official records · ERA09LA230
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On April 4, 2009, at about 1247 central daylight time, a Champion 7HC, N8560E collided into a private home near the Centre Municipal Airport, Centre, Alabama. The private pilot was killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged by post-crash fire. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to witnesses, the airplane was departing from the runway, climbed to approximately 20 to 50 feet, and made a hard left bank. The airplane then struck power lines, trees, and crashed into a house. The airplane erupted in flames and the pilot was observed lying outside of the airplane. The pilot, age 52, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. His certificate was issued on July 2, 2003. The pilot's last medical examination was on July 4, 2007, for a third-class medical certificate with limitations for corrective lenses. The pilot reported 2,150 flight hours on his last medical application. The two seat, high-wing, fixed gear airplane that was manufactured in 1959. It was powered by a Lycoming O-290 140-hp engine and equipped with a two-bladed Sensenich propeller. Review of the aircraft logbook pages revealed that the last annual inspection was conducted on December 19, 2008, at a total time of 2,013.95 hours. Examination of the wreckage by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control during climb due to an improperly installed rudder pedal control tube.
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Browse: Alabama · 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.
