Champion 7HC and Cessna 152 accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, October 29, 1983
On October 29, 1983 at about 7:00 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Champion 7HC (N8918R) and Cessna 152 (N93158), were involved in the same accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Ft Lauderdale airport). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1983 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida · Ft Lauderdale
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Champion 7HC · all 7HCs on the register
- Registration
- N8918R · registry record · serial 7HC-20
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N93158 · no longer on the register · serial 15285423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Champion 7HC final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT OF CHAMPION 7HC, N8918R, STATED THAT HE TAXIED OVER A ROUGH FIELD TO RWY 13. WHILE CROSSING THE FIELD, SOMETHING STRUCK THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE & BROKE THE AILERON BELLCRANK WHICH CONNECTED THE CONTROL STICK TO THE AILERON PUSHRODS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT DURING TAKEOFF. HE STATED THAT JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF, THE LEFT WING STARTED TO RISE VERY RAPIDLY, AND HE APPLIED FULL LEFT AILERON & RUDDER, BUT THE AILERONS DID NOT REACT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CHAMPION TURNED TO THE RIGHT & HEADED TOWARD A CESSNA 152, N93158, TAXIING ON A TAXIWAY. THE AIRCREW OF THE CESSNA STOPPED THEIR ACFT & BOTH OCCUPANTS DUCKED THEIR HEADS IN THE COCKPIT. THE RIGHT WING OF THE CHAMPION HIT THE CESSNA'S PROP, UPPER ENG COWLING & RIGHT WING, THE THE CHANPION CAME TO REST ON THE TAXIWAY BEHIND THE CESSNA. AN EXAM OF THE CHAMPION'S FRACTURED AILERON COMPONENTS SHOWED NO EVIDNECE OF PREVIOUS CRACKS OR FATIGUE.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 152 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT OF CHAMPION 7HC, N8918R, STATED THAT HE TAXIED OVER A ROUGH FIELD TO RWY 13. WHILE CROSSING THE FIELD, SOMETHING STRUCK THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELLAGE & BROKE THE AILRON BELLCRANK WHICH CONNECTED THE CONTROL STICK TO THE AILERON PUSHRODS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT DURING TAKEOFF. HE STATED THAT JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF, THE LEFT WING STARTED TO RISE VERY RAPIDLY, AND WE APPLIED FULL LEFT AILERON & RUDDER, BUT THE AILERONS DID NOT REACT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CHAMPION TURNED TO THE RIGHT & HEADED TOWARD A CESSNA 152, N93158, TAXIING ON A TAXIWAY. THE AIRCREW OF THE CESSNA STOPPED THEIR ACFT & BOTH OCCUPANTS DUCKED THEIR HEADS IN THE COCKPIT. THE RIGHT WING OF THE CHAMPION HIT THE CESSNA'S PROP, UPPER ENG COWLING & RIGHT WING, THEN THE CHAMPION CAME TO REST ON THE TAXIWAY BEHIND THE CESSNA. AN EXAM OF THE CHAMPION'S FRACTURED AILERON COMPONENTS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS CRACKS OR FATIGUE.
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 for the Champion 7HC from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,374 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 1,145 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from FXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 152 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 703 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 574 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 12, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 MIA84LA021.