Champion 7BCM accident near Bishopville, South Carolina, March 17, 1988
On March 17, 1988 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Champion 7BCM, registered N82782, was destroyed in an accident near Bishopville, South Carolina. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1988 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Bishopville, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7BCM · all 7BCMs on the register
- Registration
- N82782 · no longer on the register · serial 1429
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT, CARRYING A PASSENGER, ATTEMPTED A LOW LEVEL MANEUVER, AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER IN THE ALTITUDE AVAILABLE AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS ON THE BLOOD/URINE WERE DONE ON THE PIC. THE BLOOD CONTAINED 24 NANOGRAMS PER MILLILITER (NG/ML) OF THC (THE PSYCHOACTIVE COMPONENT OF MARIJUANA) AND THE URINE CONTAINED 241 NG/ML OF CARBOXY-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC-COOH), THE PRINCIPAL METABOLITE OF MARIJUANA. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL CHARACTER WITNESSES, THE PILOT WAS A KNOWN USER OF MARIJUANA.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 50 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,245 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 1987; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from FLO
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.
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.