Champion 7EC accident near Placedo, Texas, July 6, 2016
On July 6, 2016 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1958 Champion 7EC, registered N9891B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Placedo, Texas. It was a personal 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 inadequate annual inspection of the fuel system that failed to detect a deteriorated fuel line and a misrigged fuel selector, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to verify the work completed by the owner before endorsing the annual inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2016 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Placedo, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC, built 1958 · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N9891B · no longer on the register · serial 211
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was conducting the first flight in the airplane after an extended period of inactivity. The pilot reported that, about 10-15 minutes after takeoff, the engine sputtered. He applied carburetor heat and checked the position of the fuel selector and the magnetos. The engine operation smoothed out; however, a short time later, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel line between the fuel strainer and the carburetor was deteriorated and leaking fuel, and the fuel selector was rigged in such a way that it would only open about 25%, which limited the amount of fuel flowing to the engine. The mechanic who signed off the airplane's most recent annual inspection, which was completed the month before the accident, reported that the airplane's owner assisted with the inspection, and that he did not verify the owner's work before endorsing the annual inspection.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,525 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 11,200 as pilot in command; 1,850 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 16, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2016; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 2,585 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9TE4 Port Lavaca TX at 1:20 pm
- Destination: VCT Victoria TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from VCT, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N9891B 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.