- Date
- April 3, 2016, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kinder, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9611SChampion 7ECA
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Avaition Administration
- FAA report
- 20160403004189A
- Case key
- 92954
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
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing, an airstrip excursion, impact with a fence and the subsequent airplane fire.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, after performing a local flight, he made a normal approach to a dirt and grass covered airstrip. He reported that he executed a wheel landing and the airplane veered left of the airstrip heading as the left main landing gear began to sink into the mud. The airplane struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest nose down in a water filled ditch. The pilot reported that he shut off the aircraft systems and he and his passenger exited the airplane; however, he reported that he did see fuel leaking from the fuel tanks as a result of the angle at which the airplane came to rest. The pilot recounted that as he and his passenger were walking away from the airplane they heard the fuel ignite and the airplane became engulfed with flames. The airplane sustained substantial fire damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, after performing a local flight, he made a normal approach to a dirt and grass covered airstrip. He reported that he executed a wheel landing and the airplane veered left of the airstrip heading as the left main landing gear began to sink into the mud. The airplane struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest nose down in a water filled ditch. The pilot reported that he shut off the aircraft systems and he and his passenger exited the airplane, however he reported that he did see fuel leaking from the fuel tanks as a result of the angle at which the airplane came to rest. The pilot recounted that as he and his passenger were walking away from the airplane they heard the fuel ignite and the airplane became engulfed with flames. The airplane sustained substantial fire damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9611S
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 82
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 3,206.6
- Engine
- Continental Motor O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jerry D. Barnhill
- Registered owner
- Jerry D. Barnhill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 22, 2015
- Departed
- 3R7 · Jennings, LA
- Destination
- Kinder, LA
- Equipment
- None
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 698 total · 40 in this make and model · 639 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KCWF, 29 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
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 N9611S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.