Champion 7ECA accident near Port Townsend, Washington, January 22, 1989
On January 22, 1989 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N2582F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Townsend, 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
IMPROPER APPROACH AND FLARE TECHNIQUE ON THE PART OF THE PILOT, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TALL TREES SURROUNDING THE AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1989 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Port Townsend, 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
- N2582F · no longer on the register · serial 213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SIDE-SLIPPED THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING APPROACH. A SINK RATE DEVELOPED WHICH THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST WITH POWER AND FLARE. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED HARD.
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: 255 hours in all; 128 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1988; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,350 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from PAE, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.