NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

On July 7, 2014, at 0734 mountain daylight time, an American Champion 7CGBC, N162CG, and a Cessna R172K, N7390K, collided over Landmark US Forest Service (USFS) airstrip, Landmark, Idaho. The American Champion, registered to the pilot, made a dead stick approach along the edge of an open meadow and struck a tree during the landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The Cessna, registered to High Plane Flyers, Inc., impacted terrain and was consumed by a postcrash fire. The commercial pilot operating the American Champion received minor injuries, and the private pilot operating the Cessna received fatal injuries. Both airplanes were operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plans had been filed. The American Champion departed McCall Municipal Airport McCall, Idaho, at 0715, and the Cessna departed Flying A ranch about 0715. The destination for both airplanes was Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport, Idaho.

The pilot of the American Champion stated that she and the Cessna pilot were going to meet at Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport the morning of the accident. After departing McCall, she stated that she had visual contact on the Cessna as it departed the Flying A Ranch private airfield. It was below her at the 5 o'clock position, and they both were in radio communications with each other. The Cessna pilot stated that his ground speed was 129 knots, while the Champion pilot replied that her airspeed was 101 knots. The Champion pilot reported that she was 10 miles west of Sulfur Creek at 7,800 feet, and the Cessna pilot reported that he was 5 miles west of Sulfur Creek, at 6,800 feet. By this time the Champion pilot had lost visual contact with the Cessna, and over the radio the Cessna pilot stated that he had passed her. About 10 miles west of Sulfur Creek the Champion pilot said that she saw the Cessna appear under her left wing, overtaking her from behind and below, and appeared to be climbing. The Champion pilot stated that she had no time to react before the Cessna struck her propeller, and then disappeared downward. After her engine stopped, the Champion pilot stated that she tested the flight controls, made a MAYDAY radio transmission, then executed a forced landing to an open area.

The wreckage of the Cessna was located about 1 mile south of where the American Champion had made its forced landing. The Cessna had been subjected to a post-accident fire, and a small debris field consisting of camping equipment, personal bags, right wing lift strut, and right horizontal stabilizer was distributed to the northwest, extending out approximately 500 feet from the main wreckage.

Exelis OpsVue, a commercial product that provides replays of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar data and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) reports, was used to create visual replay of the combined data. Excelis uses a national atmospheric pressure model to correct for local atmospheric pressure in order to present mean sea level (msl) altitudes in the target data. Neither airplane was receiving radar services. The replay starts at 07:25 mountain daylight time, and depicts two targets. The lead target is shown at 8,200 feet msl and a ground speed of 103 knots heading in a southeastern direction. The trailing target is shown at 8,775 feet msl and 115 knots groundspeed also heading in a southeastern direction. At 07:31, the trailing target is at 8,600 feet msl, 119 knots ground speed, and has closed to about 1 mile from the lead target, which was still at 8,200 feet msl and 103 knots. Both targets had just passed the north edge of Warm Lake. At 07:32:24, about 11 miles northwest of the Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport, the lead target, still at 8,200 feet msl, vanished from the replay; presumed data loss due to mountainous terrain. The trailing target is about 13 miles northwest of the Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport, at 8,600 feet msl, 111 knots, and in a descent. At 07:33:25, the trailing target's position was about 11 miles northwest of the Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport, at 8,350 feet msl, when it vanished from the replay; presumed data loss due to mountainous terrain. The wreckage of the Cessna was located about 2.5 miles southeast of the final radar recorded position, and the American Champion landed about 2 miles east of the same point. Radar/ADS-B data was not regained for either the Cessna or the American Champion airplanes.

GPS data captured from a portable Garmin GPSMAP496 unit that was onboard the American Champion was tabulated and plotted by specialists at the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. The data showed that at 07:32:33, approximately the time radar contact was lost, the Champion was at 8,278 feet msl, heading 121 degrees, and a ground of 109 knots. At 07:34:28, the Champion was at 7,664 feet msl and heading 127 degrees when it suddenly experienced a change of ground speed from 111 knots to 98 knots and entered a descending left turn.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 52, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine airplane land and multiengine airplane land, and airplane instrument issued on January 11, 2010. She also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings issued on October 23, 2013. She held a third-class medical certificate issued on August 27, 2013, with no limitations. The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, Form 6120.1, that she had 5,056 hours of total flight time, 587 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 17 hours of flight time within the previous 30 days.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The American Champion was a two-seat, high wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 1453-2009, which was manufactured in 2009. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160-hp engine, and equipped with a Sensenich model 74DM6S8-1-56 fixed pitch propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on April 3, 2014, at a total airframe time of 395 hours. Total airframe time at the time of the accident was 412 hours.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane was located on the edge of a swampy meadow and was resting on its landing gear. The left wing had a semicircular impact mid-wing on the leading edge. There was a recently downed deadfall tree next to where the airplane was positioned. The tail wheel and aft fuselage section had been deformed. The belly of the airplane was covered in aluminum panels painted yellow, and exhibited deformation. There were two black transfer marks on the belly near the tail, and 2 orange paint transfer marks. The propeller exhibited chordwised scratches, and one blade was deformed forward.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the overtaking airplane’s pilot to maintain visual contact and separation from the airplane being overtaken.