- Date
- November 8, 1990, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Suffolk, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7702BAeronca Champion 7BCM
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901108049249A
- Case key
- 11618
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
A loss of engine power due to low cylinder compression. The low compression was a result of exhaust valve leakage and inadequate maintenance and inspection. In addition, the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in the airplane stalling.
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 acft was climbing out after the second touch-and-go landing, when witnesses reported hearing popping noises from the engine. The acft nosed down, descended, and crashed in a wooded area about 1,000 ft past the end of the rwy. Investigation revealed a compression test reading of 17/80 for the #2 cylinder; the exhaust valve guide and seat were misaligned. In addition, all the engine intake connector hoses were dry-rotted, the spark plugs apppeared to be gapped too tightly, and one lead was not properly installed. The last annual inspection was done about a week before the accident, and the acft had operated about 15 hrs since then.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7702B
- Reported as
- Aeronca Champion 7BCM (CHAMPION 7)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7BCM-288
- Airframe hours
- 2,040
- Engine
- Continental C-85-8F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fredric G Nuckles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 1990 · 15 hours before
- Airport
- Suffolk Muni
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORF, 23 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.