- Date
- August 25, 1990, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Clark Lake, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2521FChampion 7GCAA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900825035929A
- Case key
- 14549
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
Poor judgement of the pilot due to consumption of alcohol, and his failure to maintain proper altitude and clearance above water, while performing aerobatic maneuvers.
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
Witnesses observed the aircraft in low flight & aerobatic maneuvers. Following what was described as a steep pull-up, the aircraft was seen to impact water in a steep descent. Subsequent inspection of the airframe & engine revealed nothing which would have affected normal flight. Toxicology checks showed the pilot had a blood/alcohol level of 260 mg/dl (0.26%) & a urine/alcohol level of 183 mg/dl (0.183%).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2521F
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harry L. Faling
- Departed
- NONE · Clark Lake, MI
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 980 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- JXN, 20 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 N2521F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.