# Accident 20191218022559A: Champion 7ECA, Starkville, MS, December 18, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 18, 2019, 18:00 local time
- Place: Starkville, MS
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3939° N, 88.8528° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3939&lon=-88.8528&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9566S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9566S-2021-05-25) (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: CHAMPION 7ECA
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,742 total, 45 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20LA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA036) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191218022559A

## Narrative

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

ON 18 DECEMBER 2019, PILOT ROBERT JOSEPH YOUNG (PIC) FLEW N9566S, 7ECA CITABRIA FROM 9X1 TO UBS/GTR. HE DEPARTED 9X1 AT 1245 CST ON A VFR FLIGHT.  HE LANDED AT VICKSBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (VKS) TO ADD A QUART OF OIL. THE PIC OPTED NOT TO ADD FUEL BASED OFF HIS CALCULATIONS OF FUEL REQUIRED TO SAFELY FLY TO GTR. N9566S GAUGES WERE SHOWING THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE HALF FULL. N9566S DEPARTED VKS FOR GTR AND CLIMBED TO 3500?.  AS THE PIC FLEW OVER LOUISVILLE WINSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (LMS) THE FUEL GAUGES READ 1/4 FUEL IN RIGHT TANK AND 1/4 FUEL IN LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY 4.5 HRS.  THE LEFT TANK WAS STEADILY DROPPING FROM ¼ OF A TANK DOWN TO 1/8 OF A TANK. THE RIGHT TANK READ 1/4 TANK FULL.  PIC RECHECKED HIS WATCH AND AT APPROXIMATELY 4:40 FLIGHT TIME AND GAUGES READ SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1/8 LEFT & 1/4 RIGHT. THE PIC MADE A REMARK TO GTR TOWER THAT HE COULD NOT ACCEPT A LONG DELAY OR EXTENDED VECTORS.  HE BELIEVED HE HAD 15-20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME BEFORE HITTING NIGHT VFR RESERVES.  PIC DID NOT DECLARE MINIMUM OR EMERGENCY FUEL LOADS BASED FLIGHT TIME LEFT AND WHAT THE GAUGES WERE READING AT THE PRESENT TIME. PIC LOWERED THE NOSE FOR A DECENT INTO GTR. THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ERRATICALLY AND APPEARED TO RUN ROUGH.  PIC NOTICED THAT THE LEFT SIDE FUEL GAUGE HAD SLAMMED TO EMPTY AND THE RIGHT WAS AT 1/4 OF A TANK FULL.  PIC REALIZED THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE STF AND LINED UP FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY 25. WITH THE TREES AND POWER LINES ON BOTH SIDES OF HIGHWAY 25, THE PIC ABORTED LANDING ON HIGHWAY 25 DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND OPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT LEADING EDGE IMPACTED A TREE CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. CONSEQUENTIALLY, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND VIOLENTLY CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TO PARTIALLY BREAK LOOSE FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LODGE VERTICALLY BETWEEN TWO LIMBS OF A TREE. AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT, THE PILOT SUFFERED A MINOR INJURY TO HIS HEAD. PIC WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LATER THAT EVENING. THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE POINT OF BEING DESTROYED.

## 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 CEN20LA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA036), Dec 18, 2019: Champion 7ECA (N9566S), Starkville, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision not to visually confirm the remaining fuel onboard during the intermediate stop.

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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