Champion 7ECA accident near Kittitas, Washington, July 14, 2002
On July 14, 2002 at about 1:20 am local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N9542S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kittitas, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to conduct an adequate preflight inspection of the fuel resulting in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. A contributing factor was the rocky terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2002 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Kittitas, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9542S · no longer on the register · serial 266
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot (front seat) accompanied by the individual (rear seat pilot) who had recently purchased the aircraft departed Colfax, Washington, en route to Kent, Washington. The amount of fuel available was not adequately verified by the pilot and after flying over 150 statute miles the aircraft's engine lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing on rocky terrain. The rear seat pilot reported that subsequent to the forced landing he checked the right wing fuel tank low point drain and observed only enough gas to moisten his thumb. A check of the left wing fuel tank low point drain yielded a steady stream of gas, but when he returned to the aircraft the following day to begin recovery procedures he was unable to siphon any gas from either tank. He also noted that there was no significant gas observed when the wings were removed from the airframe.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 427 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 335 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S94 Colfax WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: S36 Kent WA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 24 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9542S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.