Champion 7GCBC accident near Glennallen, Alaska, September 8, 1996
On September 8, 1996 at about 2:50 am local time, a Champion 7GCBC, registered N88359, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glennallen, 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
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering a low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and an uncontrolled collision with the terrain. A factor related to the accident was: the pilot's use of a medication with sedative side effects.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1996 · about 2:50 am local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N88359 · registry record · serial 807-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane made a low pass over a track vehicle and some hunters. The hunters knew the pilot and passenger. The hunters observed the airplane make a nose-high turn and then crash to the ground. One of the hunters, a pilot, said that the airplane appeared to stall during the turn to reverse direction. Postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical deficiency. Toxicological testing of the pilot's blood showed 0.010 mcg/ml chlorpheniramine (an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative side effects) and unreported levels of pseudoephedring and phenylpropanolamine (over-the-counter decongestants).
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
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKN Gulkana AK at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N88359 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Champion 7 Citabria and Champ 1,452 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Champion 1,604 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B 179 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Gulkana Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 826 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,144 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC96FA149.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.