NTSB CHI87DEX08 — 1987-08-31 · SHERIDAN, Indiana, United States

Current FAA registration · N6343N

Make / Model: CHAMPION 7KCAB
Year of manufacture: 1967 · 20 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES (150 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19670422
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A84F66

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N6343N Champion 7KCAB Minor

Factual narrative

ON INITIAL CLIMBOUT AT APPROXIMATELY 400' AGL THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL POWER FAILURE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD 1/4 MILE SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND IN A NOSE-LOW, LEFT BANK ATTITUDE. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING. EXAMINATION AND RUN-UP OF THE ENGINE BY FAA INVESTIGATORS FAILED 'TO PROVIDE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO SHOW INDICATION OF AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_CHI87DEX08.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.