ANC05CA011

NTSB accident investigation · Champion 7FC · Talkeetna, AK · October 30, 2004

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 30, 2004, 13:40 local (21:40 UTC)
Place
Talkeetna, AK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4851EChampion 7FC
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 24, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20041030029569A
Case key
60461

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the student, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll, and subsequent nose over.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Supervision - inadequatePilot in command(cfi)Cause
Directional control - not maintainedDual student
Ground loop/swerve
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - snowbank
Nose overLanding - roll

Analysis

The flight instructor was providing flight instruction/recurrent training to the private pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The flight instructor said that just after landing on a dry, paved runway, the private pilot allowed the airplane to veer to the left of the runway centerline. The instructor said that she took control of the airplane in an attempt to realign the airplane, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and continued off the left side of the runway. The airplane's main wheels struck a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, wing lift struts, fuselage, and empennage. Both pilots noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Factual narrative

On October 30, 2004, about 1340 Alaska daylight time, N4851E, a tailwheel-equipped Champion 7FC airplane, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The first pilot, seated in the rear seat, a certificated flight instructor, and the second pilot, seated in the front seat, a certificated private pilot, were not injured. The accident airplane was owned by the second pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, about 1300.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on November 1, the first pilot reported that she was providing flight instruction/recurrent training to the second pilot. The first pilot said that just after landing on runway 36, a dry, paved runway, the second pilot allowed the airplane to veer slightly to the left of the runway centerline. She said that she took control of the airplane in an attempt to realign the airplane, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and continued off the left side of the runway. The airplane's main wheels struck a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, wing lift struts, fuselage, and empennage. Both pilots noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N4851E
Reported as
Champion 7FC
Category
Airplane
Serial number
7FC-302
Airframe hours
2,431.1
Engine
Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
James & Tracy Habersetzer
Registered owner
James L. Habersetzer
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · October 19, 2004 · 1 hours before
Departed
TKA · Talkeetna, AK
Destination
TKA · Talkeetna, AK
Airport
TKA · Talkeetna, runway 36, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
31
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Last flight review
May 29, 2003
Seat
Rear
Flight hours
850 total · 1 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Role
Student pilot
Age
41
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
November 6, 2002
Seat
Front
Flight hours
157 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
350° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
7,000 ft broken
Temperature
36 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
29.44 inHg
Observed at
TKA

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N4851E · 3

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