Champion 7EC-703 accident near Moultonboro, New Hampshire, May 1, 2011
On May 1, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Champion 7EC-703, registered N61980, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Moultonboro, New Hampshire (Moultonboro Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing rollout, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Moultonboro, New Hampshire · Moultonboro Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC-703 · all 7EC-703s on the register
- Registration
- N61980 · registry record · serial 7EC-703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing rollout, a strong wind gust caused him to lose directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off of the runway and collided with trees. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the wing spars. A witness at the airport confirmed the weather anomaly at the time of the accident. The nearest airport's weather observation system reported at the time of the accident that the wind was light and variable.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,340 hours in all; 1,575 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,314 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 2010; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LCI Laconia NH at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 5M3 Moultonboro NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 3,475 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from LCI, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA11CA303.