Champion 7GCAA accident near Ashland, Ohio, July 3, 1990
On July 3, 1990, a Champion 7GCAA, registered N8326V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ashland, Ohio (Ashland 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY PREFLIGHT THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. RESULTING IN A FUEL LEAK GOING UNDETECTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1990
- Place
- Ashland, Ohio · Ashland County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N8326V · no longer on the register · serial 102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS VISUALLY CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE 30 GALLONS. FIFTEEN STOP AND GO LANDINGS WERE PERFORMED AFTER WHICH A BREAK WAS TAKEN. UPON RESUMING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 2 NEEDLE WIDTHS BELOW FULL. DURING THE SECOND STOP AND GO LANDING AFTER THE BREAK, THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WHEAT FIELD 705 FT SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO FUEL IN EITHER WING FUEL TANK. EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE WAS NOTED AROUND THE FUEL STRAINER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ADDED TO THE FUEL TANKS AND THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 2 NEEDLE WIDTHS BELOW FULL.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 27,000 as pilot in command; 20,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,463 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1989; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:46 am from MFD, 13 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.