Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Northway, Alaska, August 9, 2008
On August 9, 2008 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N2975Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Northway, 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 inadequate evaluation of weather conditions while landing, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2008 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Northway, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N2975Q · registry record · serial 346-80
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off airport site, adjacent to a small stream. He said that he approached the site from an upstream direction, and during touchdown the airplane landed hard, bounced, and he aborted the landing. During the second landing, he approached the site from a downstream direction, and during the landing roll, he discovered that the airplane's tailwheel was missing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. In his written report to the NTSB the pilot noted that after landing, he discovered that there was a slight breeze from an upstream direction. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. In the recommendation part of his written report, the pilot noted that the accident might have been prevented if he had taken more time to verify runway and wind conditions before landing, and operated the airplane at a lower gross weight.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › (general) › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,638 hours in all; 1,188 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,478 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,141 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORT Northway AK at 4:55 pm
- Destination: Northway AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.