Champion BL-7-GCBC accident near Upham, North Dakota, September 26, 1998
On September 26, 1998 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Champion BL-7-GCBC, registered N311DM, was destroyed in an accident near Upham, North Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's steep pull and failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane's handling qualities, and a lack of recent experience in the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1998 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Upham, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion BL-7-GCBC
- Registration
- N311DM · registry record · serial 17
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported seeing the airplane make a low pass across a field where the pilot's brother was baling hay. According to the witness, the airplane made a steep climb to between 400 and 500 feet above the ground, made a left turn and spiraled vertically into the ground. The airplane was destroyed by the post-impact- fire. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the airframe, flight control system, or engine that would prevent flight. According to the pilot's logbook, his last flight in the accident airplane was December 31, 1995. The pilot had received a biennial flight review on May 1, 1998, in a different make and model airplane than the accident airplane. There were no logbook entries after May 1998. The logbook entries for the accident airplane did not show any stall or spin maneuvers performed by the pilot during the time he had flown 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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: RLA ND
- Destination: RLA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:02 pm from MOT, 35 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.