Bellanca 7GCBC N86708
14 September 1997 · Telluride, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 September 1997 at about 22:15 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N86708 was involved in an accident near Telluride, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Telluride, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Telluride Regional (TEX)
- Coordinates
- 37.9399, -107.8991
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Registration
- N86708
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Grand Junction
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW97FA348
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while climbing after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and collision with terrain. Factors relating to the accident included: the pilot allowing the maximum gross weight limit of the airplane to be exceeded, the high density altitude, and the pilot's intentional steep climb after takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After the airplane took off, various witnesses reported seeing it in a nose high attitude, at low airspeed, and with the wings 'wobbling.' One pilot-witness said the airplane stalled and spun once. The pilot had been admonished for regularly making soft-field takeoffs; that is, holding full aft control stick, lifting off in a nose high attitude, and then 'climb at a steep angle of attack.' His son, a student pilot, who was in the front seat, had previously expressed his apprehension in using this takeoff technique, especially in high density altitude conditions. At the time of the accident, the airplane was determined to be 219 pounds over the maximum certificated gross weight. Density altitude was computed to be 10,920 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bellanca 7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Tracy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jul 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Sonora, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Mooresville, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 1997 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 1997 | Bellanca 7KCAB | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1997 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Crimora, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-32-300T | Del Norte, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Leadville, Colorado, United States | Michael S. Luther | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Rans S-12 Airaile S-12 | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Cessna 305A | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Cessna 210 | Peyton, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1997 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |