- Date
- March 22, 2003, 14:57 local (20:57 UTC)
- Place
- Raymond, MN
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1814GChampion 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030322003889A
- Case key
- 56685
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 altitude/clearance not maintained by the pilot and his ostentatious display. The power lines and the pilot's maneuvering at low altitude were contributing factors.
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 impacted power lines and terrain after being observed by witnesses to be "hot dogging around in front of us and stuff." When questioned if the pilot was "showing off" the witness responded, "Yeah, I suppose." The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
On March 22, 2003, at 1457 central standard time, a Champion 7ECA, N1814G, owned and piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it impacted a power line and terrain while maneuvering along a road near Raymond, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from Willmar Municipal Airport, Willmar, Minnesota, at 1430, en route to Clara City, Minnesota.
A witness, who was also a friend of the pilot and passenger, stated that he and another person were traveling along a road in a car at the time of the accident. He stated that the pilot was, "hot dogging around in front of us and stuff" along a road and field with power lines. The witness reported that the pilot was a crop duster and was "used to spinning and going up and down." When questioned if the pilot was "showing off," the witness responded, "yeah, I suppose." The witness stated that the pilot was "going to go underneath the power lines and back up and then [the pilot] must not apparently have seen it, [the] lower [power line], clipped it and took one wing off and nose-dived into the ground."
Inspection of the wreckage by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no preexisting anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1814G
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 574
- Airframe hours
- 1,327
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2003 · 1,327 hours before
- Departed
- ILL · Willmar, MN
- Destination
- Clara City, MN
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
- 25
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,616 total · 245 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- ILL
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 N1814G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.