Grumman American Avn. CORP. GA-7 accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, February 1, 2024
On February 1, 2024 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1978 Grumman American Avn. CORP. GA-7, registered N887CC, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Chester County G O Carlson airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to water-contaminated fuel, and his subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate annual maintenance inspection, during which maintenance personnel failed to detect and replace the missing right fuel cap gasket.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2024 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Chester County G O Carlson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman American Avn. CORP. GA-7, built 1978 · all GA-7s on the register
- Registration
- N887CC · registry record · serial GA7-0044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The most recent annual inspection was completed about 45 days before the accident. After completion of the annual inspection the airplane was flown to another airport, where it would be the subject of a restoration project and then sold. The airplane then sat outside, and during that period the airport received about 10 inches of precipitation. The purpose of the accident flight was to deliver the airplane to its new owner. According to company and airport employees, the pilot arrived at the departure airport around 1230 and made it clear that he was “in a hurry,” as he had a return flight booked for 1800 that evening. According to witnesses, the airplane was fueled with 80 gallons of 100LL fuel and the pilot performed a very brief and incomplete preflight inspection, which did not include obtaining fuel samples from either of the airplane’s fuel tanks. During takeoff, the airplane’s engine “popped,” which was followed by sputtering and an aggressive turn to the right (consistent with a Vmc roll), before it disappeared behind the trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were intact and fuel was observed in the tanks. Fuel samples taken from the sump tank, engine-driven fuel pump, and the carburetor bowl on the airplane’s right side all contained water and debris. The examination also revealed that the right fuel cap was missing its gasket, which was required, and should have been detected during the most recent annual inspection.
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 initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,274.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2023; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-320-D1P (piston); 1,569 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-320-D1P (piston); 1,569 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PN34 Coatseville PA
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11/2, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from MQS, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMQS 011835Z AUTO 29010KT 10SM BKN027 BKN032 07/02 A2997 RMK AO2
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 ERA24FA103.