Champion 7HC accident near Kenai, Alaska, June 16, 2011
On June 16, 2011 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Champion 7HC, registered N8976R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kenai, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, resulting in the collapse of the main landing gear, and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2011 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7HC · all 7HCs on the register
- Registration
- N8976R · registry record · serial 7HC-28
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on a beach when the airplane struck a rock, resulting in a nose over and separation of the right main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident sequence. Prior to landing, the pilot made a low pass over the beach, and thought it looked suitable for landing. However, after touchdown, he realized the rocks on the beach were larger than they appeared from the air. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot said he should have picked a better place to land.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,700 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,955 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAEN Kenai AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Kenai AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8976R 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC11CA049.