Champion 7ECA accident near Northwood, North Dakota, June 7, 2010
On June 7, 2010 at about 2:38 am local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N9620S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Northwood, North Dakota. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the transmission wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2010 · about 2:38 am local time
- Place
- Northwood, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9620S · no longer on the register · serial 58
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to locate and observe newborn calves on his ranch. While maneuvering at a low altitude the airplane collided with a transmission wire. He immediately made a forced landing to a nearby road, but the airplane slid off the road and impacted a ditch. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged during the wire strike and the fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged during the off-field landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot held an expired student pilot certificate and did not have a current medical certificate.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 190 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 17, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,352 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Northwood ND at 2:00 am
- Destination: Northwood ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from KRDR, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.