- Date
- May 5, 2008, 16:08 local (May 6, 2008, 00:08 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9650SChampion 7ECA
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20080505848149A
- Case key
- 67953
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to remove the rudder gust lock prior to the flight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo private pilot was departing from a private gravel runway on a personal cross-country flight when he lost directional control. The pilot said the airplane drifted off the runway during takeoff/initial climb and impacted trees. The airplane then impacted terrain in a steep nose low attitude. The pilot said he had neglected to remove the rudder gust lock, and that once airborne, he was unable to control the airplane's direction of flight. The airplane received structural damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Factual narrative
On May 5, 2008, about 1608 Alaska daylight time, a Champion 7ECA airplane, N9650S, received substantial damage when it collided with trees during takeoff-initial climb from a private airstrip in Soldotna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private certificated pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on May 7, the pilot said he had forgotten to remove the rudder gust lock prior to takeoff, and that without rudder control during takeoff, the airplane drifted into the trees. He said the airplane received substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9650S
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 130
- Airframe hours
- 2,052
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Hanson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Private
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.