Champion 7ECA accident near Ethel, Arkansas, October 27, 2006
On October 27, 2006 at about 11:30 am local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N2590F, was destroyed in an accident near Ethel, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the trees and terrain. Contributing factors were the prevailing fog and the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2006 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Ethel, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N2590F · no longer on the register · serial 221
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,164-hour commercial pilot reported that he departed the airport on a night VFR cross-country flight to an aerial application airstrip where he was employed to perform aircraft maintenance services. Soon after breaking ground, the tailwheel-equipped airplane entered instrument meteorological conditions and the non-instrument-rated pilot initiated a descent out of the fog with the intention to return to the airport. The airplane impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering to regain visual contact with the ground. The pilot sustained only minor injuries; however, a post-crash fire destroyed the airplane. In a written statement, the pilot stated that he departed while it was still dark, and only gained a little attitude before "encountering IMC conditions." The pilot further reported that he was attempting to lower his altitude and turn back, when the airplane impacted the trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the impact. In the safety recommendation block of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot added that since there was no weather reporting stations in the immediate area, it would be "advised to fly only during daytime or on a completely clear night."
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
- Flight time: 1,164 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,083 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,829 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 5M1 De Witt AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.