- Date
- June 4, 1989, 09:39 local (15:39 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7545FChampion 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890604014259A
- Case key
- 17716
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
Inadequate preflight of the aircraft by the pilot which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. The terrain condition was considered to be a factor.
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
According to a witness, the eng began running rough as the acft was climbing after takeoff, but it began running normally after the nose was lowered. However, as the plt was maneuvering to return to the arpt, the eng lost power again. Subsequently, the acft was damaged during a forced landing on unprepared terrain. No fuel was found in the acft after the acdnt & no fuel spill was evident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7545F
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 222-70
- Airframe hours
- 766
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robson, Ralph Gordon
- Registered owner
- Robson, Ralph G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 1988 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- U43
- Destination
- U43
- Airport
- U43 · San Juan County, runway 34, 4,817 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 74
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 843 total · 500 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
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 N7545F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.