Champion 7FC accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, October 30, 2004
On October 30, 2004 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Champion 7FC, registered N4851E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska (Talkeetna airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the student, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2004 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Talkeetna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7FC · all 7FCs on the register
- Registration
- N4851E · no longer on the register · serial 7FC-302
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was providing flight instruction/recurrent training to the private pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The flight instructor said that just after landing on a dry, paved runway, the private pilot allowed the airplane to veer to the left of the runway centerline. The instructor said that she took control of the airplane in an attempt to realign the airplane, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and continued off the left side of the runway. The airplane's main wheels struck a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, wing lift struts, fuselage, and empennage. Both pilots noted 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 29, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 157 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,431.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 2004; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.44 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from TKA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.