Bellanca 8KCAB accident near New Bern, North Carolina, May 26, 1984
On May 26, 1984 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N5030J, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Bern, North Carolina (Simmons Nott airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1984 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- New Bern, North Carolina · Simmons Nott · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N5030J · registry record · serial 451-78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS PERFORMING A LOW LEVEL FLY-BY SIMULATING AN INEXPERIENCED FLYERS ERRATIC MANEUVERS WHEN THE ACFT FELL VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND AND BOUNCED INTO A FENCE BEFORE IT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD. THE PLT SAID HE HIT A DOWN DRAFT AT A TREE LINE. THE FLY-BY WAS PART OF AN AIR SHOW.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 575 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 26,035 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 325 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 1983; 325 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEI-O-360-HIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm from EWN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL84LA186.