Champion 7ECA accident near Faulkton, South Dakota, November 11, 2002
On November 11, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N2557F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Faulkton, South Dakota (Faulkton Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 directional control not maintained during an after landing taxi on the runway by the student pilot. The student pilot's lack of experience and downhill terrain off the runway were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Faulkton, South Dakota · Faulkton Muni · 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
- N2557F · no longer on the register · serial 186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage when it veered off the runway during an after landing taxi on the runway. The airplane then went downhill into a gully and nosed over. The airplane was piloted by a student pilot on a solo flight. The student pilot accumulated a total flight time of 23.7 hours, of which 5.8 hours was solo flight time.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 24 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3FU Faulkton SD at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3FU
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 31, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ABR, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.