Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Anchorage, Alaska, October 3, 1999
On October 3, 1999 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N4156Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection to remove all contaminated fuel from the fuel system. A factor associated with the accident was an unsuitable terrain condition for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1999 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N4156Y · registry record · serial 962-77
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing from the Lake Hood Airstrip. As the airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the runway, all engine power was lost. The airplane landed in an area of tundra-covered marsh, just off the end of the departure runway. During the landing roll, the airplane's main wheels contacted the soft, boggy terrain, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident inspection of the airplane's carburetor revealed about 10cc of rusty-colored fluid, along with clean fuel in the airplane's carburetor float bowl. The rusty-colored fluid tested positive for water, when tested with water detection paste. The fluid sample was released to the accident pilot at his request. The accident pilot reported that the fluid contained therapeutic levels of fluoride, commonly found in tap water. The pilot did not submit the test results report to the NTSB.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,482 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1999; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A20 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,200 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from PAN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.