Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Beluga, Alaska, September 24, 2023
On September 24, 2023 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1976 Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N169EZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Beluga, Alaska (Nikolai Creek 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s excessive application of brakes during landing that resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2023 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beluga, Alaska · Nikolai Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC, built 1976 · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N169EZ · registry record · serial 927-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing at a remote airstrip, she applied too much brake pressure and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, left wing, and right wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 325 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 21, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,527 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320 A2B (piston); 2,527 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 9:50 pm
- Destination: PAMR Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway N/A, 1,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PAMR, 70 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAMR 242253Z VRB03KT 10SM OVC095 12/04 A2978 RMK AO2 SLP086 T01170039 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.