Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Wellsville, Utah, May 18, 2024
On May 18, 2024 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 1973 Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N41685, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wellsville, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, which 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
- May 18, 2024 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Wellsville, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC, built 1973 · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N41685 · no longer on the register · serial 589-73
- 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, while landing at a grass-covered site, during touchdown, the airplane bounced slightly, and he inadvertently allowed the flight control stick to move forward, which lowered the nose of the airplane. During the second touchdown, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing struts, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 404 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,469.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 27, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental S4LSC-264 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 42U Morgan UT at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway N/A, 1,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 am from KLGU, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLGU 181551Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 13/01 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP151 T01330011
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 March 28, 2025. 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, 4 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.