- Date
- May 9, 1987, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Delia, KS
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7556EChampion 7EC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870509014119A
- Case key
- 34291
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
Witnesses stated that the aircraft was performing high speed, low level passes over the homes of some friends and relatives when, suddenly, it started a steep climb over a tree line. The aircraft appeared to slow down at the top of the climb; then it leveled off briefly before plummeting, nose-first, to the ground. The aircraft burst into flames shortly after impact. There were no indications of an in-flight failure/separation, and a subsequent engine teardown inspection did not reveal any kind of powerplant failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7556E
- Reported as
- Champion 7EC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7EC675
- Airframe hours
- 1,350
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Delone L. Bennett
- Registered owner
- Bennett, Delone L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1987 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 3KS1 · Topeka, KS
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 530 total · 35 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TOP, 18 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 N7556E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.