# NTSB CHI97LA182: Champion 7ECA, N7506F, Willard, MO, June 21, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 21, 1997, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Willard, MO - Coordinates: 37.290142, -93.410011 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.2901&lon=-93.4100&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 2, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10609 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI97LA182 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10609/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA182 ## Probable cause remedial action delayed by the flight instructor. A factor in this accident was the instructor's lack of recent experience in this type airplane. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - proper descent rate - not maintained, dual student - lack of recent experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis As the airplane approached the runway threshold, the private pilot, according to the flight instructor, reduced the power. The instructor said he felt the airplane begin to sink more than he thought it should. He said he told the pilot to add power. The instructor said he tried to apply power and felt the pilot opposing his attempt to move the throttle. A witness said the airplane approached the runway '...slow and too low.' He said the airplane flared to high and stalled about 20 feet above the ground. He said he heard the power increase just before the airplane made the hard landing. The instructor said he had never flown this type airplane from the rear seat before this flight. He said he had acquired about 12 hours in airplanes similar to the accident airplane. He was unable to recall how long it had been since he last flew an airplane similar to the accident airplane. ## Factual narrative On June 21, 1997, at 1200 central daylight time (cdt) a Champion 7ECA, N7506F, piloted by a private pilot receiving dual instruction from a certificated flight instructor, was substantially damaged during a hard landing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private pilot reported no injuries, the flight instructor reported minor injuries. The flight departed a restricted landing area near Willard, Missouri, at 1145 cdt. The flight instructor said, "...our airspeed was about 70 to 75 MPH. As we passed over the tree the pilot reduced [the] power and flared to high (about 20 feet above the ground). This caused a high sink rate and a hard landing." During an interview with the flight instructor he said he knew the airplane was sinking pretty good after it passed over the trees. He said he told the pilot to increase the power. Upon seeing the pilot did not add power, the instructor said he tried to rapidly apply power but was unable to do so because the pilot was trying to reduce it. The instructor said the airplane had made a go-around before the landing approach that lead to the hard landing. The pilot receiving the dual instruction said the first landing approach resulted in a go-around because the airplane's sink rate was too high. During the second approach the pilot said he reduced the power as the airplane flew over the trees. He said the airplane just went down after he reduced the power. He said the airspeed indicator showed about 60 miles per hour during the landing approach. A witness to the accident said the airplane was "...slow and too low. The pilot flared 20 feet high without power and stalled the airplane." During an interview, the witness said he heard the power increase just before the airplane made the hard landing. The instructor said he and the pilot receiving the instruction had been flying a Piper PA-12. He said the PA-12 floats on landing. He said he had never flown the Champion 7ECA from the rear seat before the accident flight. He said he had acquired about 12 hours of flight time in airplanes similar to the accident airplane. He was asked when the last flight in this type airplane had been made. He said he couldn't recall. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7506F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7506F), registered now, S/N 717, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CHAMPION 7ECA - Registry model: [Champion 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7eca) (registry code 21101NN) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 717 - Engines: LYCOMING O-235-C1 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: John Nealey - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Departed: 2MO1 - Airport: 2MO1, Bird Field, runway 18, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; flight hours: 860 total, 3 in this make and model, 825 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 17 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: SGF, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970621015409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970621015409A), Jun 21, 1997: Bbavia 7ECA, Willard, MO, Substantial damage. Flared too high. Stalled. Impacted runway. CFI unable timely add power due student on same closing throttle. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.