Champion 7FC accident near Terrebonne, Oregon, August 30, 2012
On August 30, 2012 at about 4:00 am local time, a Champion 7FC, registered N4849E, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Terrebonne, Oregon (The Citadel airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's physical impairment, which adversely affected his ability to properly operate the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2012 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Terrebonne, Oregon · The Citadel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7FC · all 7FCs on the register
- Registration
- N4849E · no longer on the register · serial 300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was attempting to land his airplane at night on the unlighted, unpaved private airstrip where he based the airplane. The airstrip was situated in a rural area, about 5 miles from the nearest town atop a ridge that rose about 300 feet above the surrounding terrain. According to the pilot, during his final approach to the airstrip, he encountered a downdraft, and the airplane impacted the southwest side of the ridge. According to information provided by first responders, the airplane struck a tree and then terrain, and came to rest after a very short distance. The right wing was crushed and displaced aft, and the fuselage also sustained substantial damage. The pilot extracted himself from the wreckage and used his cellular telephone to summon assistance. Hospital medical personnel interviews indicated that the pilot appeared intoxicated and admitted to using methadone and morphine on a daily basis, and blood tests of the pilot conducted at least 3 hours after the accident revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.246 grams/deciliter. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations prohibit operation of an airplane by persons with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.040 grams/deciliter or greater. The pilot did not hold a valid FAA medical certificate. He also stated that the airplane did not have any mechanical deficiencies or failures before the impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,650 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,626 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 29, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61OR Terrebonne OR at 1:45 am
- Destination: 61OR Terrebonne OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 1,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Observation at 3:56 am from KRDM, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.