Champion 7EC accident near May Creek, Alaska, September 13, 1996
On September 13, 1996 at about 2:00 am local time, a Champion 7EC, registered N9061B, was destroyed in an accident near May Creek, 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 and/or flying at low altitude, which resulted in a stall and collision with the terrain. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot allowed the weight and balance (aft center-of-gravity) limitation to be exceeded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1996 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- May Creek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N9061B · no longer on the register · serial 7EC
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the sole passenger departed on a sheep hunting trip in remote mountainous terrain. The flight did not return and was reported overdue 4 days later. Search personnel located a weak ELT signal on the 5th day and the wreckage was located at 5,300 feet mean sea level. The airplane, powered by a 90 horsepower engine, was found heavily loaded with hunting and camping equipment. Center of gravity (CG) calculations, not including any fuel calculation, indicated the airplane was loaded beyond the aft CG limit. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was found.
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: 337 hours in all; 23 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1996; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXC Chitina AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from PAM, 28 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.
Other NTSB records under N9061B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.