Bellanca 8GCBC N5071K

Summary

On 13 February 2026 at about 22:00 local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC registered N5071K was involved in an accident near De Smet, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 February 2026 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

De Smet, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Wilder (6E5)

Coordinates

44.4323, -97.5585

Aircraft

Bellanca 8GCBC

Registration

N5071K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Private Strip → De Smet

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA117

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while landing the tailwheel equipped airplane, the tailwheel began shaking, and he lost directional control. The airplane veered off the runway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that he should have had more back pressure on the elevator controls to prevent the tailwheel from shaking.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.