Champion 7ECA accident near Kinder, Louisiana, April 3, 2016
On April 3, 2016 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1965 Champion 7ECA, registered N9611S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kinder, Louisiana. 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 pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing, an airstrip excursion, impact with a fence and the subsequent airplane fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2016 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kinder, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA NO SERIES, built 1965 · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9611S · no longer on the register · serial 82
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, after performing a local flight, he made a normal approach to a dirt and grass covered airstrip. He reported that he executed a wheel landing and the airplane veered left of the airstrip heading as the left main landing gear began to sink into the mud. The airplane struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest nose down in a water filled ditch. The pilot reported that he shut off the aircraft systems and he and his passenger exited the airplane; however, he reported that he did see fuel leaking from the fuel tanks as a result of the angle at which the airplane came to rest. The pilot recounted that as he and his passenger were walking away from the airplane they heard the fuel ignite and the airplane became engulfed with flames. The airplane sustained substantial fire damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 698 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,206.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motor Company O-200-A (piston); 3,207 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3R7 Jennings LA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Kinder LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KCWF, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N9611S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.