- Date
- November 29, 1983, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Douglas, WY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7697EChampion 7GC
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831129059179A
- Case key
- 16184
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt took off on an aerial observation flt to spot cattle in a mountainous area. When he failed to return, a search was initiated. The plane was found in a valley between 2 mountain ranges. An investigation revealed that the acft had crashed while in a steep nose-low attitude. There was no longitudinal ground scar, the eng was embedded in a 30 inch crater & control continuity was established from all control surfaces to the cockpit area. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was evident. The 0750 MST wx at Douglas, WY (elevation 4876 ft) was in part: 2000 ft overcast, visibility 20 mi. The elevation of the crash site was about 7500 ft. the arpt manager noted 'a curtain of snow showers or blowing snow' towards the mountains where the the plane crashed. Also, he stated the mountain tops were obscured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7697E
- Reported as
- Champion 7GC
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2B, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Arthur C Horr
- Departed
- DGW · Douglas, WY
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 470 total · 395 in this make and model · 66 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 10 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.