Champion 7HC accident near Centre, Alabama, April 4, 2009
On April 4, 2009 at about 5:47 pm local time, a Champion 7HC, registered N8560E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Centre, Alabama (Centre Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control during climb due to an improperly installed rudder pedal control tube.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2009 · about 5:47 pm local time
- Place
- Centre, Alabama · Centre Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7HC · all 7HCs on the register
- Registration
- N8560E · no longer on the register · serial 7HC-9
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that during takeoff the airplane climbed to approximately 20 to 50 feet, rolled to the left into a steep bank angle, and then descended and collided with powerlines and a house. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the right rudder pedal control tube was missing the rod attachment bolt, retainer nut, and cotter pin. According to the airplane manufacturer the push pull tube system discovered during the examination was not installed at the factory and no record of the install was located in the airframe logbooks. Examination of the engine, additional flight control system components, and the aircraft structure revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,013 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 19, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: C22 Centre AL at 5:47 pm
- Destination: PYP Centre AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,401 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from GAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.