- Date
- October 14, 1987, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, MO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4889EChampion Aeronca 7GC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871014059619A
- Case key
- 34468
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 reported the pilot had planned to practice 'taildragger' takeoffs and landings. They reported the aircraft operated routinely from engine start through the final approach segment of a VFR traffic pattern. While stabilized at about 400 ft AGL on final approach, the aircraft suddenly plummeted nose first and impacted the ground in a steep dscnt. Fire erupted on impact. The passenger was pulled from the burning aircraft, but he died later. An exam of the wreckage revealed the 'up' elevator control cable had melted & had come apart in the area of a guide pulley. The guide pulley had signs of electrical arcing. Also, the aircraft's positive battery cable was stuck to the 'up' elevator guide pulley.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4889E
- Reported as
- Champion Aeronca 7GC (AERONCA 7G)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7GC-63
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2B, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Terrill P. Swearingen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Airport
- K24 · E.W. Cotton Woods Mem, runway 18, 2,400 × 37 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,980 total · 2,275 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COU, 12 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 N4889E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.