Patient Told The First Responders That The “Man Who Was In The Plane Was Flying At The Time Of The Accident And Had Overshot The Runway They Were Attempting To Land On.”

Location: Cottonwood, CA Accident Number: WPR25FA145
Date & Time: April 29, 2025, 15:34 Local Registration: N6310N
Aircraft: Champion 7ECA Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On April 29, 2025, at 1534 Pacific daylight time, a Champion 7ECA, N6310N, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cottonwood, California. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

A witness, who was friend of both pilots, and located at the Red Bluff Municipal Airport (RBL), Red Bluff, California, reported that about 30 minutes prior to the accident, he observed the pilots at the airport and approached them for general conversation. He observed the flight instructor seated in the front and the rear seated pilot was undergoing instruction for his flight instructor certificate. According to the witness, the flight instructor was acting as a student pilot, and rear-seated pilot was acting as the flight instructor in preparation for an upcoming a check ride.

First responders located near the accident site reported that they observed black smoke rising toward the sky. When they arrived at the accident site location, they saw the airplane adjacent to a residence as well as a person (later identified as an occupant of the airplane), walking around the area. They began to extinguish the fire and render aide to the patient. The first responders stated that the patient was alert and able to tell them that he self-extricated from the airplane and someone else, the flight instructor, was still in the airplane. The patient told the first responders that the “man who was in the plane was flying at the time of the accident and had overshot the runway they were attempting to land on.” He added that the pilot flying “powered up and then lost control of the [air]plane.”

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted several trees and came to rest at a base of a tree about 585 ft south of the departure end of runway 16 at the Flying N Ranch Airport (CA04), Cottonwood, California. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a downed fence post located about 40 ft south of the departure end of the runway, aligned on an extended centerline. The downed fence post was about 5 ft in height and was separated at the base. The downed fence post exhibited a black transfer mark near the top of the post. A tree, about 40 ft tall, was about 380 ft south of the FIPC, had damaged limbs near the top of the tree. The debris path was oriented along a heading of about 355° magnetic and about 100 ft in length from the FIPC to the main wreckage. The fuselage came to rest on its left side in an approximate 10° nose low attitude, on a heading of about 310° magnetic, at an elevation of 538 ft mean sea level (msl). The right wing and left main landing gear were separated from the fuselage and located about 5 to 10 north of the main wreckage.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination

FMI: www.ntsb.gov