Champion 7ECA accident near Mexico, Missouri, April 9, 2005
On April 9, 2005 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N11177, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mexico, Missouri (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal 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 pilot inadvertently using the wrong runway for takeoff, which resulted in a tailwind condition. Factors to the accident were the tailwind, the aborted takeoff, the wet grass runway, and the road embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2005 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mexico, Missouri · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N11177 · registry record · serial 7ECA-93
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a road embankment during an aborted takeoff. The pilot reported that before he boarded the airplane the winds were "200 degrees at 10 [knots]." The private airstrip consisted of a grass/turf, 1,300 foot long, north/south runway. The pilot stated that his intention was to depart from runway 18, but "because of distraction or whatever" he taxied to runway 36 and initiated the takeoff. The pilot reported, "I knew that I should be airborne or feeling very light by the time that I got to a bump about [halfway] down the runway from either direction. When I got to the bump without the tail coming up and with an indicated airspeed of about 35 mph I knew that something was seriously wrong and knew instantly what the problem was. I was taking-off with the wind." The pilot reported that he aborted the takeoff by reducing engine power to idle and braking. The pilot stated that the grass runway was wet with dew and the aircraft overran the end of the runway, impacting a road embankment.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 425 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 22, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,912 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2004; 67 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: PVT Mexico MO at 2:45 pm
- Destination: PVT Mexico MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,320 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from COU, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI05CA096.