Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Galata, Montana 59444
Friday, October 17, 1997 15:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/17/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | GALATA |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59444 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1454 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CTB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3854 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 213 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 19 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 28 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1056 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 17 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1608 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | CFOJT |
| NTSB Number | SEA98LA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Champion |
| Aircraft Model | 7EC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 7EC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7FC-6 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 22 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 7179 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CLARENCE D. ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11844 SE 184TH |
| Aircraft Owner City | RENTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98508 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SBX |
| Destination City | SHELBY |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 26 2001 3:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |