Champion 7GCBC accident near Clearwater, Minnesota, July 23, 1998
On July 23, 1998 at about 8:07 pm local time, a Champion 7GCBC, registered N21262, was destroyed in an accident near Clearwater, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate visual lookout by the pilot-in-command. The unmarked transmission wire was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1998 · about 8:07 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N21262 · registry record · serial 130
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in level flight heading southbound at 75' the airplane impacted power lines. The power lines were not marked and were not depicted on the current sectional chart, which he had consulted prior to flight. He added that the poles of the power lines were obscured by trees along the shoreline which make it difficult to be seen in flight. Examination of the Twin Cites Sectional Aeronautical Chart reveals the following caution, 'CAUTION: This chart is primarily designed for VFR navigational purposes and does not purport to indicate the presence of all telephone, telegraph and power transmission lines, terrain or obstacles which may be encountered below reasonable and safe altitudes'.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 413 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 298 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 7, 1968
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3MN8 St. Cloud MN at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from STC, 8 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.