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20050510007119A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7ECA · Fort Collins, CO · May 10, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 10, 2005 · 10:05 local
Place
Fort Collins, CO
Airport
Downtown Ft Collins Airpark
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N11065
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN05CA073
Reported as
Bbavia 7ECA
Reported engine
AMTR O200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
268 total8 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N11065Registered now · Champion 7ECAS/N 79 · Built 1965Airframe modelChampion 7ECAEngine modelContinental 0-200 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) On 05/10/05 at 10:05 am, the pilot and one passenger made a takeoff on runway 11 at Fort Collins Downtown airport (elev. 4935 MSL), destination colby, KS. They had purchased the 1965 citabria 7ECA on 05/09/05 and had a pre-buy mechanical inspection completed by poudre aviation with no major findings. They did not partake in a pre-buy flight check. The aircraft was fueled (15 gals) to full capacity (38 gals usable) just prior to takeoff. Takeoff was west to east, temperature was 68 degrees, unlimited visibility and 3 mph winds out of the NE. The pilot and passenger weighed in at approx. 410 lbs total and had two carry-on bags total approx. 35 lbs. This was approx. 50 lbs overweight at sea level. According to pilot and witness statements the aircraft used a lot of runway, was nose up and wasn't climbing very well. After lift off the controls became "mushy". Having trouble gaining altitude, the pilot turned left and was struggling to clear trees and power lines. The pilot then located an open field on the FAR side of a gravel pit. Still having problems with altitude he was nosing over trying to gain airspeed when the aircraft's left wing contacted the lower strand of a three strand power line about the same time the propeller and right wing came into contact with three twenty foot trees. The aircraft came to rest on its right side just past the broken trees. Smelling fuel the pilot shut down the electrical and fuel and kicked out the front glass and they both walked away from the aircraft. There was no fire. The pilot had a bump on the right temple area. During the entire flight there was never any indication of engine problems.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 05/10/05 AT 10:05 AM, THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER MADE A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 11 AT FORT COLLINS DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (ELEV. 4935 MSL), DESTINATION COLBY, KS. THEY HAD PURCHASED THE 1965 CITABRIA 7ECA ON 05/09/05 AND HAD A PRE-BUY MECHANICAL INSPECTION COMPLETED BY POUDRE AVIATION WITH NO MAJOR FINDINGS. THEY DID NOT PARTAKE IN A PRE-BUY FLIGHT CHECK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED (15 GALS) TO FULL CAPACITY (38 GALS USABLE) JUST PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. TAKEOFF WAS WEST TO EAST, TEMPERATURE WAS 68 DEGREES, UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AND 3 MPH WINDS OUT OF THE NE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WEIGHED IN AT APPROX. 410 LBS TOTAL AND HAD TWO CARRY-ON BAGS TOTAL APPROX. 35 LBS. THIS WAS APPROX. 50 LBS OVERWEIGHT AT SEA LEVEL. ACCORDING TO PILOT AND WITNESS STATEMENTS THE AIRCRAFT USED A LOT OF RUNWAY, WAS NOSE UP AND WASN'T CLIMBING VERY WELL. AFTER LIFT OFF THE CONTROLS BECAME "MUSHY". HAVING TROUBLE GAINING ALTITUDE, THE PILOT TURNED LEFT AND WAS STRUGGLING TO CLEAR TREES AND POWER LINES. THE PILOT THEN LOCATED AN OPEN FIELD ON THE FAR SIDE OF A GRAVEL PIT. STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ALTITUDE HE WAS NOSING OVER TRYING TO GAIN AIRSPEED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING CONTACTED THE LOWER STRAND OF A THREE STRAND POWER LINE ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THREE TWENTY FOOT TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE JUST PAST THE BROKEN TREES. SMELLING FUEL THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ELECTRICAL AND FUEL AND KICKED OUT THE FRONT GLASS AND THEY BOTH WALKED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT HAD A BUMP ON THE RIGHT TEMPLE AREA. DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT THERE WAS NEVER ANY INDICATION OF ENGINE PROBLEMS.

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 DEN05CA073Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportFort Collins, COthe pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which failed to assure adequate takeoff performance to clear obstacles. Contributing factors included the miscalculated weight and balance and the high density altitude.May 10, 2005 · Destroyed

Other reports on N11065 · 1

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

Accident 19740130003419ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Austin, MNStruck snow bordering rwy.Jan 30, 1974 · Substantial damage