Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Girdwood, Alaska, May 4, 2007
On May 4, 2007 at about 3:10 am local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N5038K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Girdwood, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from terrain while maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a glacier. Factors contributing to the accident were snow-covered terrain, and flat light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2007 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Girdwood, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N5038K · registry record · serial 482-79
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying over a group of hikers/skiers that were on a remote glacier. After a second pass over the group, about 80 feet agl, the airplane continued away from the group, but collided with the ice and snow-covered surface of the glacier and overturned. The skiers gave aid to the pilot and called for rescue personnel. The witness reported that the weather on the glacier at the time was an overcast sky, and a ceiling of about 600 feet. He also said there was flat light conditions and a haze. The pilot reported that when he flew over the ski members on the glacier, he had a visual horizon and could see the sky. He said he thought he was about 200 feet above the ground. During a second pass, the lighting conditions changed from bright to hazy, and the pilot indicated he probably was looking at the snow covered surface of the glacier. He said the airplane was descending, and he thought the glacier was also descending.
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: 650 hours in all; 321 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 595 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,169 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2007; 221 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.