- Date
- August 5, 2006, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Harmonsburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9866BChampion 7FC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Harrisburg FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060805017979A
- Case key
- 64258
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 failure to maintain the proper altitude/clearance on final approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
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 airplane was on final approach to land on a 1,700-foot-long, turf runway. The pilot reported that the airplane struck trees that were located at the approach end of the runway. The airplane subsequently struck a power line and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane. He reported 2,600 hours of total flight experience, which included about 150 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The Champion 7FC was on final approach to land on a 1,700-foot-long, turf runway. The pilot reported that the airplane struck trees that were located at the approach end of the runway. The airplane subsequently struck a power line and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane. He reported 2,600 hours of total flight experience, which included about 150 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9866B
- Reported as
- Champion 7FC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7FC-189
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental C90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Minnette Clepper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2005
- Departed
- 3PN6 · Cambridge, PA
- Destination
- NONE · Harmonsburg, PA
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 010, 1,700 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 85
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2004
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 150 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- GKJ
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 N9866B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.