Champion 7ECA accident near Upland, California, April 2, 1987
On April 2, 1987 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N9655S, was destroyed in an accident near Upland, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1987 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Upland, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9655S · no longer on the register · serial 236
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM HIS HOME AIRPORT FOR A SIGHT-SEEING, LOCAL FLIGHT OVER NEARBY MOUNTAINS. ALTHOUGH THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER WEIGHED 270 LBS AND THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS WERE ASSUMED TO BE FULL, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PILOT CALCULATED THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT AND BALANCE DATA FOR THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH EVIDENCE INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER. THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN CLIMBING UP THE STEEPLY RISING CANYON, ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE COURSE, AND COLLIDED WITH THE CANYON WALL.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 850 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,821 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCB CA at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from ONT, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.