Date:	Wednesday 21 June 2023
Time:	13:30
Type:	Champion 7EC Traveler
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N80461
MSN:	7EC-743
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Waunakee, WI -   United States of America
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Waunakee Airport, WI (6P3)
Destination airport:	Brennand Airport, WI (79C)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On June 21, 2023, about 1330 central daylight time, a Champion 7EC airplane, N80461, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Waunakee, Wisconsin. The pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot purchased the airplane on the day of the accident and was planning to fly it to another airport. On the morning of the accident, a mechanic completed an annual inspection on the airplane. During the preflight inspection and the runup, no anomalies were noticed by the pilot.

During the initial takeoff climb, the pilot noticed a decrease in the engine rpm. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and he was unable to identify what caused the partial loss of engine power. Shortly thereafter, the engine sustained a total loss of engine power, and the pilot performed a forced landing. Upon touchdown to a residential road, the airplane impacted a tree and an unoccupied motor vehicle. The airplane came to rest upright in the rear of another unoccupied motor vehicle. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the fuselage.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed significant wear of the locking mechanism on the manual fuel primer pump: only a narrow portion of the retaining lip was left to engage with the retaining pin. It is likely that a slight movement or vibration caused the retaining pin to move around the small piece of retaining lip that remained, resulting in the fuel primer pump becoming unlocked and extending. The spark plugs were found in a carbon fouled condition, consistent with an overly rich mixture.

The fuel primer pump position and the condition of the spark plugs indicate that the total loss of engine power was likely due to an overly rich mixture resulting from excess fuel being pulled through the fuel pump primer and into the engine’s intake system when power was applied.

Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power during the initial takeoff climb due to a worn manual fuel primer pump locking mechanism, which resulted in an unlocked primer and an overly rich fuel mixture.

https://www.nbc15.com/2023/06/21/plane-crash-reported-waunakee/
https://www.channel3000.com/news/small-plane-crashes-in-waunakee-dane-county-dispatcher-confirms/article_4f6292ac-1064-11ee-b884-07c362b078fb.html
https://www.wkow.com/news/dane-co-official-confirms-plane-crash-in-waunakee/article_fb7f6512-1062-11ee-9369-f3d3678d9bb1.html
https://www.wkow.com/news/no-serious-injuries-in-waunakee-plane-crash/article_fb7f6512-1062-11ee-9369-f3d3678d9bb1.html

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192417
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N80461

https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/6/2215927_1687394592.jpg (photo of the wreck)
https://www.airport-data.com/images/aircraft/000/029/029323.jpg (photo)

Dane Co. official confirms plane crash in Waunakee https://t.co/Zjya5glbJl via @WKOW pic.twitter.com/j0kAR49FYR

— Tanner Kahler (@tannerkahler) June 21, 2023

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Jun-2023 19:21	nhofmann54	Added
21-Jun-2023 19:21	harro	Updated
21-Jun-2023 20:18	RobertMB	Updated
22-Jun-2023 00:56	RobertMB	Updated
22-Jun-2023 19:05	vasilf	Updated
23-Jun-2023 05:12	RobertMB	Updated
24-Jun-2023 21:47	Captain Adam	Updated
28-Jun-2023 17:55	Captain Adam	Updated
14-Aug-2024 21:29	Captain Adam	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, ]