What happened
On July 21, 2024, at approximately 19:33 EDT, a Champion 7ECA, registration N9581S, was involved in an accident near Beaufort, North Carolina. The flight originated from Horse Feathers Airport (53VA) in Midland, Virginia, with a planned destination of Michael J. Smith Field Airport (MRH).
According to the pilot, the aircraft departed with approximately 32 gallons of fuel onboard. Roughly two and a half hours into the flight, the pilot experienced a momentary surge in engine power. This engine anomaly occurred several times before the engine suffered complete power loss. Unable to restore power, the pilot performed a forced landing onto a road.
During the landing sequence, the left wing of the aircraft struck a pole, causing the airplane to come to rest in an inverted position approximately 3 miles northwest of MRH. The accident resulted in one serious injury and one minor injury to the occupants; the pilot sustained minor injuries, while the passenger was seriously injured.
The investigation
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the wreckage and identified substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The wreckage was retained for further analysis.