Champion 7ECA accident near Augusta, Kansas, October 29, 1997
On October 29, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N7505F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Augusta, Kansas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the aircraft owner to reinstall the quick release hinge pins/safety pins, and failure of the pilot to notice the missing pins during the aircraft preflight, which resulted in separation of the main entry door during flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Kansas · 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
- N7505F · registry record · serial 716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The main entry door separated from the airplane during cruise flight, resulting in substantial damage to the right side of the airplane. No evidence was found to indicate that the safety pin for the quick release hinge pins had been installed. The owner had the door removed from the airplane during the summer and had recently reinstalled it.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7K9 Beaumount KS at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 71K Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from ICT, 32 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.
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.