Champion 7FC accident near Hawkinsville, Georgia, October 3, 2023
On October 3, 2023 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Champion 7FC, registered N4878E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hawkinsville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the carburetor fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2023 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hawkinsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7FC · all 7FCs on the register
- Registration
- N4878E · registry record · serial 7FC-316
- 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 about halfway through the flight the engine started to lose power. Unable to regain sufficient power, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field; the airplane collided with a stump and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed fuel staining on the inside of the engine cowling due to the carburetor fuel line leaking from the braided outer casing. Examination of the fuel line revealed that it was brittle and cracked on the inside, which prevented fuel from being supplied to the carburetor.Not in docket. After the fuel line was removed and replaced with a serviceable line, the engine was started and ran continuously with no anomalies noted. No entries were found in the maintenance logbooks that showing replacement of the fuel line. The last inspection entry in the engine logbook was an annual inspection dated 6 months before the accident, that noted an inspection of the fuel system. An external visual check of the fuel line alone would not have alerted the mechanic to its condition.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 8,450 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,280 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 228 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CSG Hawkinsville GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from EZM, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEZM 032215Z AUTO 08006KT 10SM CLR 27/12 A3010 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 18, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.