20010805019889A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Champion 7GCBC · Sedgwick, ME · August 5, 2001

Date: August 5, 2001 · 15:30 local
Place: Sedgwick, ME
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N80195
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC01FA201

N80195Registration cancelled Feb 5, 2002 · Champion 7GCBCS/N 270-70 · Built 1970 Airframe modelChampion 7GCBC Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The 48-year old certified pilot was observed making low passes over a drive-in restaurant in a rural part of Sedgwick, Maine. Several witnesses state the plane was 200-500 AGL when it entered a 90 degree right bank and plunged straight down until sight was lost behind a tree line. A few seconds later, smoke was observed coming from the last sighted position of the aircraft. Bystanders arrived at the heavily wooded scene 15 minutes after the crash. The pilot and his 18 year old son were still in the wreckage. The wreckage was fully involved in fire and was lying on a magnetic heading of 240 degrees, the accident was caused by loss of control when the pilot entered an accelerated stall. Contributing factors were operation at an altitude that gave little time to recover; decreased stall speed due to bank angle and operating the aircraft at or. (End of narrative; no attachment).

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE 48-YEAR OLD CERTIFIED PILOT WAS OBSERVED MAKING LOW PASSES OVER A DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT IN A RURAL PART OF SEDGWICK, MAINE. SEVERAL WITNESSES STATE THE PLANE WAS 200-500 AGL WHEN IT ENTERED A 90 DEGREE RIGHT BANK AND PLUNGED STRAIGHT DOWN UNTIL SIGHT WAS LOST BEHIND A TREE LINE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE LAST SIGHTED POSITION OF THE AIRCRAFT. BYSTANDERS ARRIVED AT THE HEAVILY WOODED SCENE 15 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH. THE PILOT AND HIS 18 YEAR OLD SON WERE STILL IN THE WRECKAGE. THE WRECKAGE WAS FULLY INVOLVED IN FIRE AND WAS LYING ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 240 DEGREES, THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN THE PILOT ENTERED AN ACCELERATED STALL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE OPERATION AT AN ALTITUDE THAT GAVE LITTLE TIME TO RECOVER; DECREASED STALL SPEED DUE TO BANK ANGLE AND OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT AT OR. (END OF NARRATIVE; NO ATTACHMENT).

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC01FA201Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportSedgwick, METhe failure of the pilot to maintain control while maneuvering.Aug 5, 2001 · Destroyed