Champion 7GCBC accident near Buffalo, South Dakota, July 28, 2003
On July 28, 2003 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Champion 7GCBC, registered N9032L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buffalo, South Dakota (Harding County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor pilot's inadequate remedial action to the dual student's loss of aircraft control during high speed taxiing which lead to the inadvertent ground loop/swerve. A factor was the student not maintaining aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2003 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Buffalo, South Dakota · Harding County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N9032L · registry record · serial 259-70
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tail wheel equipped airplane sustained substantial damage when it ground looped during a high speed taxi. The instructor stated, "The aircraft started to go right, and I assisted the student in straightening it by applying a small amount of left brake. Then the aircraft started to swerve violently to the left, and I applied full right brake, which didn't stop the motion but may have kept the wing from hitting the ground. We made approximately a half circle, turning about 135 [degrees], managing to stay on the runway the whole time. ... We were using Runway 30 with a light east wind." The instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident and stated that the aircraft sustained damage to the airframe tubing during the accident.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 498 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 388 as pilot in command; 127 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 18, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 14 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,820 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2003; 30 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: 9D2 Buffalo SD at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,900 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from K2WX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI03LA178.