- Date
- June 29, 1987, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sullivan, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5185XChampion 7GCB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870629027459A
- Case key
- 30688
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 pilot of the float equipped citabria 7GCBC experienced a power loss when he added power and raised his nose for a cruise climb from 3500 ft. he set up for a forced landing in a pond. As he neared touchdown, the engine regained power and responded to the throttle. He overflew the pond at a low altitude. As he neared the end of the pond he raised the nose to clear the trees and the engine again lost power. He had a swampy area ahead. However, he was too fast to make a normal landing so he planted the aircraft down on the water. The aircraft was fueled with automobile gasoline. It had not been modified in accordance with an approved STC for automobile gasoline. The float in the carburetor was the wrong type for automobile gasoline.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5185X
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCB
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 765
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Buckley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1987
- Departed
- Portland, ME
- Destination
- West Dover, VT
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 174 total · 4 in this make and model · 95 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
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 N5185X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.