Champion 7GCBC accident near Wiley, Colorado, August 5, 2018
On August 5, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1973 Champion 7GCBC, registered N90990, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wiley, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper clearance from the sprinkler guy-wire, which resulted in the airplane’s collision with the wire during a visual approach to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wiley, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC, built 1973 · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N90990 · no longer on the register · serial 440-73
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a day visual approach to landing on his airstrip; he stated that everything seemed normal on the descent. However, he noted that the agricultural irrigation pivot sprinkler had stopped with the sprinkler's last pipe, or "overhang pipe," over the runway. The pilot thought that he was high enough to clear the sprinkler overhang pipe and had "no idea" that the airplane was not going to clear the guy-wires that supported the sprinkler overhang pipe, and the right landing gear tire struck a guy-wire that was about 10 ft higher than the sprinkler overhang pipe. The airplane's nose subsequently impacted terrain, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the flight.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Nose over/nose down
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,865.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 1,866 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAA Lamar CO at 2:20 pm
- Destination: Wiley CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KLAA, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement and Fuel Receipt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.