- Date
- June 30, 1992, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Paris, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8942RChampion 7FC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920630022659A
- Case key
- 18527
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
Fuel exhaustion power loss. Factors were a loose fuel cap, inadequate preflight by the pilot and the lack of suitable terrain.
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
Following a fuel exhaustion induced total power loss, the pilot made a forced landing in a muddy field and during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over to the inverted position. Examination of the airplane revealed a left fuel cap that was loose. According to the pilot, he did not check the fuel cap prior to his departure. An examination of the left wing and fuselage revealed fuel stains. Six days prior to the power loss, a 100 hour maintenance inspection indicated the fuel cap had been checked. Following the accident, an engine test run throughout the power ranges revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8942R
- Reported as
- Champion 7FC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7FC-382
- Airframe hours
- 2,839
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ward, Roger A.
- Registered owner
- Ward, Roger A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 24, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
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
- 55
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 3 in this make and model · 1,723 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TXK, 45 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 N8942R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.