- Date
- October 21, 2000, 17:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Pulaski, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7586FChampion 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001021037359A
- Case key
- 50528
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 evasive maneuver initiated by the pilot. Factors were the presence of the skydiver on the runway, and the pilot's selection of a closed runway.
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 airplane sustained substantial damage when it veered off of a closed grass runway and nosed over. The pilot said that on final approach he noticed a skydiver. He said, "In my judgment it was clear to land on the sod runway as the skydiver was on target over his designated landing spot, well to the left of runway 12. I touched the aircraft down and at that time the skydiver must have turned downwind as he ended up landing in the middle of the runway. I applied my right rudder to avoid a collision with the skydiver. This action resulted in my crossing the paved runway and entering the field. At this point I hit some brush and flipped the aircraft." No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft that could be associated with a preexisting condition and the pilot reported none. An employee at the airport said that the grass runway was closed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On October 21, 2000, at 1705 central daylight time, a Champion 7ECA, N7586F, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it veered off of a closed grass runway (about 3,400 feet by 40 feet) that is parallel to runway 12 at the Carter Airport, Pulaski, Wisconsin, and nosed over. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The local flight originated at 1605 cdt.
In a written statement, the pilot said that on final approach he noticed a skydiver. He said, "In my judgment it was clear to land on the sod runway as the skydiver was on target over his designated landing spot, well to the left of runway 12. I touched the aircraft down and at that time the skydiver must have turned downwind as he ended up landing in the middle of the runway. I applied my right rudder to avoid a collision with the skydiver. This action resulted in my crossing the paved runway and entering the field. At this point I hit some brush and flipped the aircraft."
An employee of the fixed base operator at the Carter Airport stated, in a telephone conversation, that the grass runway parallel to runway 12 was closed at the time of the accident. He said that the runway has been closed since the implementation of an instrument approach to the airport. He also said that the grass runway is approximately 3,400 feet by 40 feet in dimension.
No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft that could be associated with a preexisting condition and the pilot reported none.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7586F
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 742-70
- Airframe hours
- 1,802
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Blue Skies Aviation Of Wisc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 2000 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- 92C
- Airport
- 92C · Carter Airport, runway 12, 3,400 × 40 ft, grass/turf
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 578 total · 19 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 129 °F, dew point 104 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRB, 10 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.
Other investigations on N7586F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.