Champion 7GCBC accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska, September 14, 2000
On September 14, 2000 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Champion 7GCBC, registered N9654S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors associated with the accident were variable winds, and a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2000 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sparrevohn, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N9654S · no longer on the register · serial 52
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commercial pilot started a southwesterly takeoff run from a 1,500 feet long, remote sand bar. Just after lift-off, as the airplane started to climb, a strong gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing, and rolled the airplane about 90 degrees. As he applied full right aileron to correct for the roll, the airplane's wings leveled, but that it was in an uncontrolled decent. The airplane continued to descend and struck an embankment. It sustained substantial damage to the wings, wing lift struts, and fuselage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,897 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1999; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Birchwood AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Stony River AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.