On January 18, 1987, a Champion 7ECA (registration N9999Y) operated by Charles Young was involved in an aviation accident near LA Crosse, WI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the throttle cable to operate properly, which prevented the pilot from reducing engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot lost control of engine power after start, striking a hangar while attempting to avoid parked aircraft due to a faulty throttle cable.
What happened
Following the third attempt to start the engine, the powerplant successfully ignited and operated at full throttle. The pilot was unable to reduce the revolutions per minute (RPM) as intended. In an effort to avoid colliding with two parked aircraft, the pilot steered the plane into a hangar.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the airframe revealed that the throttle cable was not operating properly. The pilot later reported that the brakes were insufficient to overcome the thrust generated by the full throttle setting.
Probable cause
The failure of the throttle cable to operate properly, which prevented the pilot from reducing engine power.