Champion 7EC accident near Wasilla, Alaska, September 22, 2005
On September 22, 2005 at about 3:10 am local time, a Champion 7EC, registered N4384C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering over wildlife, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with trees. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2005 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N4384C · registry record · serial 7EC-410
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was maneuvering the airplane in the vicinity of a moose with an airspeed of about 50 to 60 knots on a CFR Part 91 personal flight, when he inadvertently stalled the airplane. The pilot said that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received structural damage to wings and fuselage when it collided with trees.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 603 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 563 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAWS Wasilla AK at 10:00 pm
- Destination: Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,700 ft; a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from PAWS, 12 miles away
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.