- Date
- July 1, 1989, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ocean City, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7521FChampion 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890701022039A
- Case key
- 11514
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
Loss of engine power from exhaust gas leakage into the carburetor inlet, causing engine air starvation, and material failure of the exhaust manifold. .
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 plt reported that he was flying over water along the beachfront at 200 ft MSL, with the engine set at 2250 RPM. He heard a faint sound from the engine and sensed that the muffler was separating. He unsuccessfully tried to climb. The engine only developed 2200 RPM at full throttle. He dropped the banner and soon afterward the engine lost power. The plt stated that a burning smell filled the cabin; however, he did not see any smoke. He ditched the acft and used a life preserver to float ashore. Examination of the acft revealed material failure of the exhaust pipe at the numbers three and four cylinder exhaust stack joint, where it connects to the muffler. Also noted was soot and smoke discoloration inside the carburetor inlet chamber.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7521F
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 204-70
- Airframe hours
- 1,588
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ocean Aerial Ads, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1988 · 22 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 605 total · 195 in this make and model · 414 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.