Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Nenana, Alaska, June 13, 2021
On June 13, 2021 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1978 Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N178TT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Nenana, Alaska (Lynx Strip airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance with trees during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2021 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nenana, Alaska · Lynx Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC NO SERIES, built 1978 · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N178TT · registry record · serial 278-78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff the private pilot flew to several different airstrips where he performed several full-stop landings. He then elected to fly to the “Lynx Strip” and flew across the runway and did not notice any “significant [wind]” at low altitude or on the water of a nearby pond. He performed two passes over the runway from different directions and again noted the wind was “negligible.” He performed two landings to the north then a full stop landing to the south. He departed and performed a “left traffic teardrop” for a final landing to the north. Either at touchdown or just moments before he felt drag on the right wing and realized the right wingtip was, “in the small Black Spruce [trees] to the right of the runway.” He applied left rudder and some aileron input to correct back to center, but the drag on the right wing increased. The airplane made an arc to the right and contact black spruce trees off the right side of the runway coming to rest upright perpendicular to the runway facing east. According to the airplane manufacturer, the total wingspan of the airplane was about 36 ft. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the leading edges of both wings which was greater than 10% of the total wingspan; therefore, the damage was considered substantial.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 347 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,209.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 2,210 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 660 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from PANN, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PANN 131653Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC085 14/08 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP109 T01440083 TSNO
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 ANC21LA046.