Champion 7GCBC accident near Carpenter, Wyoming, September 7, 2019
On September 7, 2019 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1978 Champion 7GCBC, registered N5502S, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Carpenter, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2019 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Carpenter, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC No Series, built 1978 · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N5502S · registry record · serial 1036-78
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed from a field and was climbing the airplane through about 100 to 200 ft above ground level. Witnesses stated, and surveillance video of the accident confirmed, that the airplane entered a left bank that increased to about 60° degrees as the airplane turned about 180°. The left bank continued to increase until the airplane entered a nose-down descent into the ground, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Both witnesses reported that the engine was operating throughout. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while turning during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 524 hours in all; 52 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,071 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2019; 12 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2D (piston); 1,071 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Carpenter WY at 8:40 pm
- Destination: Fort Morgan CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 1,100 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 14 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CYS, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2021. 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 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Surveillance Video | ASF file | Download |
| 3 | Video Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Examination | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Notebook of Flights | PDF, 28 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Party Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Weather | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo of Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | 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.