- Date
- May 19, 1982, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Southlake, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7477BChampion 7EC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820519017529A
- Case key
- 72654
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
During takeoff, the private pilot sitting in the front seat, thought the cowling was loose. The pilot informed the owner and commercial pilot in the rear seat who took control and decided to return to the airport. The pilot landed short of the runway and the main landing gear collapsed. Investigation revealed the suspected loose cowling was a piece of rubber in the air intake to keep out birds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7477B
- Reported as
- Champion 7EC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7EC-535
- Airframe hours
- 2,390
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry Wassell
- Registered owner
- Larry Wassell
- Departed
- Southlake, TX
- Destination
- Southlake, TX
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,320 total · 170 in this make and model · 3,110 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
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 N7477B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.