# Accident 20050510007119A: Bbavia 7ECA, Fort Collins, CO, May 10, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 10, 2005, 10:05 local time
- Place: Fort Collins, CO
- Airport: Downtown Ft Collins Airpark
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8883° N, 105.0417° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8883&lon=-105.0417&mi=10
- Aircraft: N11065, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N11065) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Champion 7ECA (registry code 21101NN, https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7eca) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 7ECA
- Reported engine: AMTR O200
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 268 total, 8 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN05CA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05CA073) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050510007119A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 DEN05CA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05CA073), May 10, 2005: Champion 7ECA (N11065), Fort Collins, CO, destroyed. Probable cause: the 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…

## Other reports on N11065 (1)

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

- [Accident 19740130003419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740130003419A), Jan 30, 1974: Blanca 7ECA (N11065), Austin, MN, Substantial damage. Struck snow bordering rwy.

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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