- Date
- September 1, 1984, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Drum, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7580EChampion 7FC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840901045659A
- Case key
- 31187
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 acft collided with a power line and the ground after a loss of power during takeoff. The plt was not certificated. The passenger said that the plt attributed the power loss to water in the fuel. The acft was being operated on automobile fuel. Attempts to contact the plt have been unsuccessful. In a letter to FAA the plt said he was using automotible gas and had drained 8 cups of water during pre-flt. The carburetor 'settlement bulb' still contained beads of water when observed during pre-flt by the plt. The plt also stated in the letter that his ATP certificate was suspended because of a medical problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7580E
- Reported as
- Champion 7FC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7FC-268
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas F. Sweet
- Registered owner
- Kathleen K. Sweet
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 56
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 25 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 N7580E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.