Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, September 1, 2008
On September 1, 2008 at about 2:00 am local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N2981M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fairbanks, Alaska (Metro Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2008 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Metro Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N2981M · registry record · serial 360-80
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing on Runway 06, a 4,600 foot-long, by 80 feet wide gravel and partially paved runway. In the student pilot's written statement to the NTSB, he reported that he elected to land on the gravel-covered part of the runway, which was on the left side of the runway. During touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he attempted to recover, but the airplane drifted to the left, and the left wing struck tall brush. The airplane pivoted to the left, and the right wing struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing, right aileron, and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. At the time of the accident the closest weather observation facility, about 2 miles west of the accident site, was reporting winds as 110 degrees at 6 knots.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,684.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2008; 25 hours since
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTF Fairbanks AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MTF Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 4,600 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from FAI, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC08CA117.