- Date
- September 21, 1997, 16:07 local (20:07 UTC)
- Place
- Fairview, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1817GChampion 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970921027639A
- Case key
- 3904
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
fuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: an inability to attain a proper touchdown point, which led to the runway overrun.
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he stopped to refuel after 2.5 hours of banner towing operations. After refueling, he departed and climbed to 250 feet above ground level (AGL), where the engine lost power. The pilot returned to the airport for an emergency landing. The airplane landed with insufficient runway to stop. It overran the runway and struck a building. An FAA inspector stated that the pilot had refueled from a 55 gallon drum and immediately taken fuel samples. An FAA inspector took fuel samples from the gascolator and carburetor, and found that both areas contained large amounts of water.
Factual narrative
On September 21, 1997, about 1607 eastern daylight time, a Champion 7ECA, N1817G, crashed during landing when the aircraft overran the runway and struck a house at the Spurgeon Rowell Airport, in Fairview, North Carolina. The airplane was operated by the commercial pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for this local flight. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage.
The pilot stated he stopped to refuel after 2.5 hours of banner towing operations. After refueling, he departed and climbed to 250 feet above ground level (AGL) where the engine lost power. The pilot returned to the airport for an emergency landing. The airplane landed with insufficient runway to stop. It overran the runway and struck a building.
The FAA inspector stated that the pilot had refueled from a 55 gallon drum and immediately taken fuel samples. Just after takeoff the engine started running rough and sputtering, so he returned to the airport. The FAA inspector took fuel samples from the gascolator and carburetor and found both areas contained large amounts of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1817G
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 409
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles E. Jacelon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 1997 · 37 hours before
- Airport
- Spurgeon Rowell, runway 36, 2,000 × 10 ft, gravel
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 6,900 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
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 N1817G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.