Champion 7GCAA accident near Romeo, Michigan, August 28, 2001
On August 28, 2001 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Champion 7GCAA, registered N9047L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Romeo, Michigan (Romeo State Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the reason for the loss of engine power is undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2001 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Romeo, Michigan · Romeo State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N9047L · registry record · serial 217-70
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after takeoff. The airplane departed runway 33 after a touch and go when it experienced a loss of engine power at 100 - 150 feet agl. The pilot attempted to land on runway 09 but impacted the ground on the right side of the runway. The instructor pilot reported, "... we were at approximately 100-150 feet in the air when I detected a deceleration and a reduction in engine noise...Going through a quick mental checklist I checked the throttle and applied carburetor heat, with no improvement in engine performance. Realizing a complete engine failure had occurred and that we were loosing altitude, I immediately took the controls. I lowered the nose to maintain airspeed to prevent a stall and turned to land on runway 9, the only safe area, in my opinion, to land, due to the trees and parked aircraft ahead of us. I completed the turn over the runway, loosing altitude rapidly. Touch down was at a high rate of descent with the left wing slightly up. I am not sure exactly [where] we touched down but realized that the gear had collapsed and that we were skidding to a stop." The inspection of the airplane revealed there were no anomalies to the fuel system and engine.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,207 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 217 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 852 as pilot in command; 170 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 31, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,793 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 2001; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D98 Romeo MI at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,795 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from MTC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.