Champion 7FC accident near Tacoma, Washington, August 24, 1994
On August 24, 1994 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Champion 7FC, registered N7598B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tacoma, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT INCAPACITATION DUE TO A HEART ATTACK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1994 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7FC · all 7FCs on the register
- Registration
- N7598B · no longer on the register · serial 7FC-96
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING AT LOW LEVEL WHEN IT ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT BANK THAT GRADUALLY INCREASED. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH LEVEL GROUND IN A LEFT WING AND NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. DURING A POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION, NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. AN AUTOPSY REVEALED EVIDENCE OF BYPASS SURGERY AND ARTERIOSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE; THE CORONER REPORTED THAT ARTERIOSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,932 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA61 Spanaway WA at 6:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from TCM, 5 miles away
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.