# Accident 19980315013569A: Bbavia 7ECA, Va, March 15, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 15, 1998, 15:18 local time - Place: Va - Airport: Castlewood - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.8697° N, 82.2792° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8697&lon=-82.2792&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7507F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7507F) (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 O235L2C - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 4,664 total, 8 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA038) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980315013569A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LANDED LAST THIRD PRIVATES STRIP. SUN BLINDED. BOUNCED BEGAN GO AROUND. CARB HEAT ON. HIT FENCE. MUSHED INTO A BERM (.4)ON MARCH 15, 1998, ABOUT 1518 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CHAMPION 7ECA, N7507F, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AS IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER AN ABORTED LANDING ON A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR CASTLEWOOD, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT/CO-OWNER DIED APRIL 15, 1998, FROM HIS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, WHICH ORIGINATED FROM THE VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS AIRPORT, ABINGDON, VIRGINIA. THE OWNER OF THE PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP, LOCATED AT 1,700 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL, DESCRIBED THE RUNWAY AS, "2,400 FEET LONG, ORIENTED EAST/WEST, WITH A 3 FOOT ELECTRIC CATTLE FENCE AT EITHER END." FRIENDS OF THE PILOT AND THE CO-OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT FLEW THERE FREQUENTLY AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. WITNESSES RECOUNTED A STRONG GLARE FROM THE SUN AT THE TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDING. THEY STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN PAST MIDFIELD, BOUNCED SEVERAL TIMES, AND WAS APPROACHING THE END OF THE STRIP WHEN THEY HEARD THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE ACCELERATING. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT "THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY A FEW FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AS IT CROSSED OVER THE ELECTRIC CATTLE FENCE." THE AIRPLANE TRAVERSED A 40 FOOT DEEP RAVINE, BUT IMPACTED THE TOP OF AN EMBANKMENT WHICH WAS LEVEL WITH THE GRASS RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS FOUND IN THE "ON" POSITION. THE INSPECTOR SCOURED THE GRASS RUNWAY AND FOUND MARKS MATCHING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ABOUT 50 FEET PRIOR TO THE ELECTRIC CATTLE FENCE. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE TOP STRAND OF WIRE ON THE ELECTRIC CATTLE FENCE, WHICH WAS APPROXIAMTELY 30 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND, WAS BROKEN. THE INSPECTOR FOUND PAINT SCRAPED OFF THE LEADING EDGES OF THE SPRING STEEL LANDING GEAR, WHICH HE REPORTED COULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANYTHING ON THE EMBANKMENT. (-23) PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP (2600 FT. X 60 FT.) TO THE WEST. PILOT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 400 FT. PRIOR TO END OF RUNWAY (SUN IN EYES, MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR), BOUNCED TWICE, THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. PILOT FAILED TO TURN CARB HEAT 'OFF', AND STRUCK A FENCE AT END OF RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT THEN MUSHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT 100 FT. BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY. ## 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 IAD98LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA038), Mar 15, 1998: Champion 7ECA (N7507F), Castlewood, VA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point and the delayed execution of the go around. A contributing factor was the fence. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.