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SEA91LA093

1991-04-20 · ELMA, Washington, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport WA22

Current FAA registration · N81578

Make / Model
AERONCA 7BCM
Year of manufacture
1945 · 46 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C75 SERIES (75 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19580522
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB1F5D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT USED INADEQUATE STARTING PROCEDURES. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT DID NOT USE PROPER ASSISTANCE AND THE PASSENGER'S INADVERTENT CONTROL INTERFERENCE.

Factual narrative

AT THE BEGINNING OF A FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD PLACED CHOCKS IN FRONT OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO TURN ON THE FUEL. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO THE PROPELLER TO PULL THE ENGINE THROUGH. AS THE PILOT TURNED THE PROPELLER, THE ENGINE STARTED AT A HIGH RPM AND THE AIRCRAFT JUMPED THE CHOCKS. THE PILOT TRIED TO HANG ONTO THE RIGHT WING AS IT SWUNG AROUND ONCE, MISSING THE FUEL PUMPS AND A PARKED PIPER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME AROUND FOR THE SECOND TIME AND COLLIDED INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PIPER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_SEA91LA093.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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