Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Whittier, Alaska, July 3, 2005
On July 3, 2005 at about 5:00 am local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N8626V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whittier, Alaska. 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 becoming lost/disoriented while maneuvering due to inadequate in-flight planning/decision making, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a forced landing in tree-covered terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2005 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Whittier, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N8626V · registry record · serial 312-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight in an area of coastal shoreline and glaciers in a wheel-equipped airplane that did not have any navigational equipment, other than a magnetic compass. The pilot said that during the flight, the compass became erratic and was not providing accurate information. The pilot indicated that he attempted to find his location, but was unable to accurately fix his position. He made several radio calls on a variety of frequencies, and finally made radio contact with an FAA flight service station as he was circling over a beach under about a 500 foot ceiling. He reported that he was lost, and the airplane had minimum fuel. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to the area and located the airplane about 17 miles from an airport. The two aircraft flew toward the airport, but the airplane's engine quit when the fuel supply was exhausted. The pilot made an emergency landing in a partial clearing that contained small trees, and the airplane received structural damage to the wings and fuselage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 759 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABV Chugiak AK at 8:00 pm
- Destination: AQY Girdwood AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from PAWR, 7 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N8626V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.