History of Flight
On July 16, 2022, about 0730 Pacific daylight time, an Aeronca 7BCM, N2588C, was destroyed in an accident near Lake McMurray, Washington. The pilot, operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal travel, sustained fatal injuries. A family member reported the airplane overdue, prompting an FAA Alert Notice. The aircraft had departed from near Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO), Arlington, Washington, en route to Mears Field Airport (3W5) in Concrete, Washington. The wreckage was located approximately 27 miles southwest of 3W5 in heavily forested terrain at an elevation of about 950 ft mean sea level.
Personnel Information
The private pilot held single-engine land and instrument ratings. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on December 29, 2016, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses for near and distant vision, and expired on December 31, 2017. The pilot reported 2,280 total flight hours with 20 hours in the preceding 6 months. Subsequently, the pilot applied for BasicMed, with a course date of April 21, 2018, and a comprehensive medical examination checklist date of December 11, 2017. The BasicMed had expired at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airframe and engine logbooks indicated an annual inspection on August 2, 2021, at an aircraft total time of 5,484.15 hours and engine tach time of 1,329.55 hours.
Meteorological Information
A low-pressure system in eastern Washington with a cold front stretching southwestward was present. The nearest weather station to the accident site, AWO's AWOS about 10 miles southeast, reported an overcast ceiling at 1,300 ft msl with visibility 10 statute miles, indicating marginal VFR conditions. A sounding analysis showed cloud cover from about 1,000 ft msl through 5,500 ft msl, with a base near 300 ft above ground level. An AIRMET was active for IMC/mountain obscuration, and pilot reports indicated low ceilings as low as 600 ft agl. The pilot did not request weather briefings from Leidos Flight Service or ForeFlight; it is unknown if any weather information was obtained.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination revealed cut treetops near the wreckage and a debris path about 120 ft long on a northerly heading, consistent with the intended destination. All major structural components were present with the main wreckage. The airplane came to rest upright on a southwest heading, and a postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage. The site was on a 15° slope near a hilltop with tall trees over 100 ft high; terrain to the south was lower. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine showed extensive thermal damage. Flight control continuity was established, and no preimpact mechanical anomalies were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot had a history of coronary artery disease requiring angioplasty and stent placement, with special issuance medical certification from 2002 to 2017. Autopsy determined the cause of death as thermal injury and smoke inhalation. Heart examination showed significant multivessel atherosclerotic coronary disease, including 80-90% narrowing of left main and left anterior descending arteries, restenosis of a left anterior descending stent, and over 95% narrowing of the right coronary artery. Scarring consistent with prior insufficient blood flow was present, but no acute clot or plaque rupture was identified. Toxicology testing found no impairing drugs; rosuvastatin (a cholesterol medication acceptable for FAA certification) was detected.