Champion 7ECA accident near Sutton, Alaska, August 29, 2013
On August 29, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N9624S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Sutton, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of marijuana, which likely degraded his psychomotor ability.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sutton, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9624S · no longer on the register · serial 169
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were reported to be scouting for locations to hunt moose. When the pilot did not return home at his specified time, a search was initiated for the airplane. The wreckage was located in an area of heavy alder brush, about 250 yards upslope of the floor of about a 3-mile-wide mountain valley. The area surrounding the accident site was interlaced with game trails, and numerous moose tracks and signs were in the area. A large herd of moose was also spotted in the same valley in the days after the accident. The airplane collided with the ground in a nose-low attitude, and impact damage was consistent with a near-vertical descent, indicating that an aerodynamic stall occurred. A postaccident examination revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure with the airframe or engine before impact. Toxicology tests on the pilot were found positive for metabolites of marijuana within the blood and lung tissue. Most behavioral and physiological effects return to baseline levels within 3 to 5 hours after drug use, although some residual effects on specific behaviors, such as complex divided attention tasks, have been demonstrated up to 24 hours after use. Psychomotor impairment can persist after the perceived high has dissipated. Based on the toxicology results, it is likely that the pilot used marijuana on the day of the accident. Although the pilot's use of marijuana likely affected his ability to successfully manage this flight, the exact degree of impairment in cognition, judgment, and motor function could not be determined.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 85 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AK6 Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.