N9620S – CHAMPION 7ECA – 2010-06-07 NTSB Accident Report

On June 07, 2010, a Champion 7ECA (N9620S) was involved in an incident near Northwood, ND. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the transmission wire.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to locate and observe newborn calves on his ranch. While maneuvering at a low altitude the airplane collided with a transmission wire. He immediately made a forced landing to a nearby road, but the airplane slid off the road and impacted a ditch. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged during the wire strike. The fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged during the off-field landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot held an expired student pilot certificate and did not have a current medical certificate.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA307. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9620S.