Champion 7EC accident near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, March 4, 1990
On March 4, 1990 at about 10:33 pm local time, a Champion 7EC, registered N4301C, was destroyed in an accident near Pine Ridge, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, AFTER DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1990 · about 10:33 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- Pine Ridge, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N4301C · registry record · serial 7EC-301
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER AND A FRIEND TOOK OFF ON A COYOTE HUNTING FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ABRUPTLY MAKE A TURN, STALL, AND IMPACT THE GROUND. THE SURVIVING PASSENGER SAID THAT THEY HAD JUST SPOTTED A COYOTE AND THE PLT BANKED THE ACFT SHARPLY BEFORE IT CRASHED.
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: 535 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Pine Ridge SD
- Destination: Lange Ranch SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from RAP, 45 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4301C on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Champion 7 Citabria and Champ 1,451 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Champion 1,603 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C-90-12 2,149 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in South Dakota 467 since 1982 · 67 in the last ten years
- South Dakota 2,273 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN90LA070.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.