On May 30, 2001, a Champion 7ECA (registration N1669G) was involved in an aviation accident near Greensboro, NC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff/initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, an uncontrolled descent, and collision with trees. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot stated that about 800 feet down the runway after rotation, while climbing through 100 feet, the aircraft suddenly turned left and came to rest in trees. The pilot speculated that inadvertent rudder input or p-factor caused the turn due to slow airspeed prior to a stall, and reported no mechanical issues.
Accident Sequence
The pilot reported that after rotating approximately 800 feet down the runway, the aircraft climbed to about 100 feet above ground level. At that point, the aircraft suddenly made an uncommanded left turn and subsequently came to rest in some trees. The pilot indicated that there had been no mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft or its systems prior to the event.
Pilot Statement
In his statement, the pilot suggested that the uncommanded left turn may have been caused by inadvertent rudder input or p-factor. He attributed this to a slow airspeed condition that existed just prior to the turn, which he characterized as being before a stall. The pilot did not specify any other contributing factors and reaffirmed that the aircraft experienced no mechanical issues.