Champion 8KCAB accident near Manchester, New Hampshire, April 3, 1989
On April 3, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Champion 8KCAB, registered N2520Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manchester, New Hampshire (Manchester airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH A PARKED AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE INADVERTENT APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE THAT TOOK PLACE AS THE PILOT WAS FASTENING THE OVER THE SHOULDER SAFETY HARNESS WHILE WARMING THE ENGINE IN PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Manchester, New Hampshire · Manchester
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N2520Z · registry record · serial 336-77
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE DECATHLON STATED THAT SHE HAD WARMED UP THE ENGINE AND WAS ATTACHING THE OVER-THE-SHOULDER STRAP FROM THE REAR ATTACHING POINT. AS SHE PULLED THE STRAP TO FASTEN IT, USING AN UNDERHAND MOTION, THE AIRCRAFT 'LURCHED FORWARD AT FULL THROTTLE'. THE TAIL WHEEL WAS COCKED OFF TO THE RIGHT, SO THE AIRCRAFT WENT TO THE RIGHT AT FULL THROTTLE AND CAUGHT THE REAR OF A PIPER PA-32R'S LEFT WING. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE SHOULDER STRAP HAD CAUGHT ON THE REAR POWER QUADRANT AND ADVANCED IT TO FULL THROTTLE WHEN SHE PULLED ON IT TO FASTEN IT. THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT A STATE AERONAUTICS COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE ACCIDENT AS DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,301 hours in all; 449 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,113 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,571 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2520Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 NYC89LA112.