Bellanca 7ECA accident near Toledo, Washington, September 25, 1988
On September 25, 1988 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N1047Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Toledo, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1988 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Toledo, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N1047Y · registry record · serial 1975-07
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCONTROLLED STRIP IN MARGINAL WX CONDS, BELIEVING HE COULD AFFECT A DEPARTURE TO GOOD VFR CONDS. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE ENCTRD SOLID IMC & MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT. AFTER REGAINING CONTROL & HAVING LOST ALTITUDE, HE OBSERVED TERRAIN BELOW & ATTEMPTED AN OFF ARPT LANDING IN A FIELD. HIS SPEED WAS TOO FAST FOR A NORMAL LANDING. TO AVOID TREES AT THE END OF THE FIELD, HE TURNED LEFT WITHOUT APPLYING POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STALLED & CRASHED.
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: 257 hours in all; 151 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 187 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,520 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1987; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDO at 8:10 pm
- Destination: RTN Renton WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:15 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.