Champion 7ECA accident near Whitesburg, Georgia, October 17, 1991
On October 17, 1991 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N11077, was involved in an accident near Whitesburg, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A SUDDEN WIND SHIFT DURING INITIAL CLIMB WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1991 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Whitesburg, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N11077 · registry record · serial 91
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED ENCOUNTERING A WIND SHIFT ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND DURING CLIMBOUT WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED COLLISION WITH TREES. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT OBSERVED A SWIRLING WIND CONDITION AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 1901; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-200-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FTY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from ATL, 20 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL92LA009.