- Date
- August 3, 1988, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Flushing, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2956ZBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880803029929A
- Case key
- 13958
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's physical incapacitation due to a coronary seizure, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control, and a stall/spin into the ground.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff, as the airplane was climbing thru about 100 to 200 ft above the ground, it was observed to pitch up, then bank right & nosed down in what was estimated to be a 3/4 turn spin before impacting the ground. No preimpact malfunction or failure of the aircraft structure or engine was found. A pathological exam of the pilot revealed extensive chest injuries and an acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The coroner believed the pilot suffered a coronary seizure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2956Z
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1245-78
- Airframe hours
- 2,780
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- E. Dalton, doing business as Dalton Aviation Co.
- Registered owner
- Edwin P Dalton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 7, 1987 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 3DA
- Destination
- 3DA
- Airport
- 3DA · Daltons, runway 18, 2,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,311 total · 7 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNT, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.