Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Destin, Florida, August 28, 2005
On August 28, 2005 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N88432, was destroyed in an accident near Destin, Florida (Destin airport). It was a banner-towing 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2005 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N88432 · registry record · serial 126-75
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed Navarre Airport towing a banner eastbound along the Gulf of Mexico near Miramar Beach. The pilot was one hour and forty-five minutes into the flight when the engine lost power. Emergency procedures were executed, however attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The banner in tow was released and the pilot ditched the airplane into the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot swam to shore and the airplane was not recovered for examination.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 4,600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Boomer Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 1J9 Ft. Walton Beac FL
- Destination: 1J9 Ft. Walton Beac FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.