Champion 7ECA accident near Palmer, Alaska, August 20, 2001
On August 20, 2001, a Champion 7ECA, registered N5189X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area. A factor associated with the accident was rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2001
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N5189X · no longer on the register · serial 687-7ECA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The newly certificated private pilot, with one passenger, entered a small valley that he thought would lead into a larger valley. After entering the valley, the terrain began rising, and the pilot initiated a full power climb. The valley became too narrow to turn around, the terrain continued to rise, and the airspeed was decreasing. The pilot was able to make a forced landing uphill, on an area of rough, uneven terrain. After landing, the pilot and his passenger were eventually able to turn the airplane around, facing downhill, in preparation for a takeoff attempt. The pilot said that during the downhill takeoff run, the airplane's main wheels struck a series of large bumps. The pilot said, in part: "...when we hit the bumps, just before takeoff, I accidentally closed the throttle, just as we just fell over a fifty feet cliff." The airplane continued to fall, collided with the valley floor, and sustained substantial damage.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 79 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 18, 2001; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-CI (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Freedom Avaition LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: MRI AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.