# Accident 19970921027639A: Bbavia 7ECA, Spurgeon Rowell, NC, September 21, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 21, 1997, 16:07 local time
- Place: Spurgeon Rowell, NC
- Airport: Spurgeon Rowell
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.1597° N, 81.1409° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1597&lon=-81.1409&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1817G, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1817G) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Champion 7ECA (registry code 21101NN, https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7eca) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 7ECA
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL97LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA138) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970921027639A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE MISSING ON CLIMBOUT. REVERSED COURSE. LANDED DOWNWIND LONG. RAN OFF END RUNWAY. S TRUCK A RESIDENCE. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STOPPED TO REFUEL AFTER 2.5 HOURS OF BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS. AFTER REFUELING, HE DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO 250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), WHERE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY TO STOP. IT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A BUILDING. AN FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD REFUELED FROM A 55 GALLON DRUM AND IMMEDIATELY TAKEN FUEL SAMPLES. AN FAA INSPECTOR TOOK FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE GASCOLATOR AND CARBURETOR, AND FOUND THAT BOTH AREAS CONTAINED LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER. (-23)PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REFUELED AND AFTER TAKE OFF THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND SPUTTERING, HE STATED THAT HE TURNED BACK TO THE RUNWAY LANDED LONG, AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY HITTING A HOUSE WITH THE RIGHT WING.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL97LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA138), Sep 21, 1997: Champion 7ECA (N1817G), Fairview, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: fuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: an inability to attain a proper touchdown point, which led to the runway overrun.

## Other reports on N1817G (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19860810047129I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860810047129I), Aug 10, 1986: Bbavia 7ECA (N1817G), New York, NY. RPM drop and oil from cowling dropped banner and landed jfk. Unable to taxi due to locked brakes. Not airworthy.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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