Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Homer, Alaska, August 31, 2012
On August 31, 2012 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N57511, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Homer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to see and avoid high tension power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2012 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N57511 · no longer on the register · serial 529-73
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's wreckage was located about 10 miles from its departure point in the shallow waters of a river leading to the remote destination lake. At the accident location, the river is crossed by high-tension power lines. The lines were draped across the river from the high terrain on the south side of the river to the low terrain on the north side of the river. One of the power lines had been severed. All of the cables were marked with large orange marking balls, and the power lines are marked on the aeronautical sectional chart for the area. Postaccident examination of the airframe or engine did not reveal evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane collided with the high-tension power lines and sustained substantial damage during impact with terrain. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. It is likely that the pilot did not see the power lines in time to avoid them.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 40 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5BL Homer AK at 5:50 pm
- Destination: Homer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 400 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PAHO, 10 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.
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.