Champion 7EC accident near Galata, Montana, October 17, 1997
On October 17, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Champion 7EC, registered CFOJT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galata, Montana. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately perform preflight planning (prior to the precautionary landing and prior to the subsequent takeoff), his selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the fence during the takeoff. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Galata, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- CFOJT · no longer on the register · serial 7FC-6
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the airplane in Canada and was ferrying it back to his home. After departing from an airport, he realized that the airplane was running low on fuel, so he performed a precautionary landing in a field. After fueling the airplane with 9 gallons of automotive gasoline from a nearby gas station, he decided to take off from the stubble field. He initiated the takeoff in a southbound direction approximately 790 feet from a barbed wire fence. After rolling 525 feet, he altered his takeoff direction to the southeast. The airplane became airborne about 130 feet from the fence. It then struck a post on the fence and proceeded to pull a barbed wire strand with it for approximately 50 feet. The strand held fast and yawed the aircraft left. The propeller impacted the ground approximately 70 feet southeast of the fence, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot also reported that the engine was 'fully firing' and that there were no perceived mechanical problems with the airplane during takeoff. He also stated that he should have taxied '...further back to increase margin of takeoff run.'
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: 480 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,179 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 22, 1997; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SBX Shelby MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 213° at 19 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from CTB, 40 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.