- Date
- October 12, 2013, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Willows, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9599SChampion 7ECA
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 88194
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 sufficient altitude while flying low over a field which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was flying low over a rice field when the wheels caught in the vegetation. The pilot tried to pull up, but the airplane was pulled down into the rice field. After touch down, the airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mounts, wings and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was flying low over a rice field when the wheels caught in the vegetation. The pilot tried to pull up, but the airplane was pulled down into the rice field. After touch down, the airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mounts, wings and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9599S
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 263
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 1,308
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- MICHAEL Warren M.
- Registered owner
- MICHAEL Warren M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2013 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- WLW · Willows, CA
- Destination
- WLW · Willows, CA
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 205 in this make and model · 190 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 885 KB in all.