Bellanca 7KCAB accident near Dover, Tennessee, June 14, 2003
On June 14, 2003 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, registered N68551, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dover, Tennessee (Short Creek (Private) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions including instrument meteorological conditions and turbulence in thunderstorms, which resulted in a loss of control in flight and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2003 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Tennessee · Short Creek (Private) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N68551 · no longer on the register · serial 324-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed a private airstrip shortly before the arrival of a thunderstorm, and one witness stated it used an abnormal amount of runway. A second witness stated the engine sounded like it was laboring, and another witness stated it sounded normal. One witness described the storm as a "virtual wall of water." The airplane was not equipped with an artificial horizon instrument. When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, a search was initiated. On June 22, 2003, a portion of the left main landing gear strut and tire was located in the river a few hundred yards from the departure airport. On August 8, 2003, the airplane was located in the water a few miles from the departure airport. Examination revealed no evidence of airframe, engine, or component malfunction. A review of radar and satellite data revealed a large area of thunderstorms along the intended route of flight, with cumulus clouds embedded in an overcast layer, a band of towering cumulus to developing cumulonimbus clouds, and an area of radar echoes across the intended route of flight with reflectivities at video integrator and processor (VIP) Level 4 to 5, "very strong" to "intense" intensity.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 970 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,158.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 26, 2003; 8.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8TN7 Dover TN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: KFIO Paducah KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,650 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from KHOP, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.