Amateur-built Champion II accident near Foxboro, Massachusetts, August 13, 2002
On August 13, 2002 at about 2:52 pm local time, a amateur-built Champion II, registered N7072X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Foxboro, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2002 · about 2:52 pm local time
- Place
- Foxboro, Massachusetts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Champion II
- Registration
- N7072X · no longer on the register · serial CH-2-0592-B-0849
- 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 he was attempting to land the floatplane on a lake. About 1 foot above the water, a light gust of wind lifted the left wing. The pilot did not correct for the wind, and the right float contacted the water. The floatplane subsequently flipped over and sank. The reported wind speed, at an airport approximately 10 miles away, was 4 knots.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 424 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 341 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 9, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 128 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2002; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Middleboro MA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Foxboro MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from OWD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.