Champion 7GCB accident near King Salmon, Alaska, July 11, 2007
On July 11, 2007 at about 1:00 am local time, a Champion 7GCB, registered N9897Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska. It was a personal 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 pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing during takeoff. Factors contributing to the accident were rough/uneven terrain, and the collapse of the main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2007 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- King Salmon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCB · all 7GCBs on the register
- Registration
- N9897Y · registry record · serial 7GCB-117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was taking off in a tundra tire-equipped airplane from a rough/uneven off-airport site under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He said his passenger reported hearing a thud or bang just prior to lifting off. The takeoff area was predominately gravel with some larger rocks, and the pilot reported that as the airplane lifted off, it immediately veered to the right. He said regardless of his control inputs, the airplane continued to the right, and impacted the ground. The pilot said the right main landing gear separated during takeoff, and the airplane did not have enough flying speed to overcome the drag. He said the airplane sustained damage to the right wing, right landing gear, fuselage, and propeller. In a written statement, the pilot wrote that more careful landing area selection might have prevented the accident.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: King Salmon AK at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PAKN King Salmon AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N9897Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC07LA064.