20201014016899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Champion 7FC · Moneta, VA · October 14, 2020

Date
October 14, 2020 · 16:30 local
Place
Moneta, VA
Airport
Smith Mountain Lake
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7532E
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA21LA022
Reported as
Champion 7FC
Reported engine
Continental C90 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,041 total221 in this make and model148 in the last 90 days

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.

The flight instructor and student were flying in the traffic pattern. When doing the before landing checklist on downwind the student pilot inadvertently shut off the fuel valve when asked to turn the carburetor heat on. The flight instructor immediately turned the fuel back on. They did a touch-and-go. On climb out at about 60 feet, the engine stopped running. The aircraft landed past the end of the runway and impacted a shallow embankment causing damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE FLYING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. WHEN DOING THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST ON DOWNWIND THE STUDENT PILOT INADVERTENTLY SHUT OFF THE FUEL VALVE WHEN ASKED TO TURN THE CARBURETOR HEAT ON. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE FUEL BACK ON. THEY DID A TOUCH-AND-GO. ON CLIMB OUT AT ABOUT 60 FEET, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED A SHALLOW EMBANKMENT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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