Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Proctor, West Virginia, August 30, 1985
On August 30, 1985 at about 4:00 am local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N4195Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Proctor, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1985 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Proctor, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N4195Y · no longer on the register · serial 291-77
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ARTD MSG AND WAS THE OBJECT OF A SEARCH FROM 9-1-85 TO 9-12-85. ACFT FOUND IN REMOTE AREA OF MTNS AND DENSE WOODS BY MAN ON FOOT HUNTING GINSENG ON 9-16-85.ND WITNESSES FOUND. RESIDENTS IN AREA REPORTED RAIN ALL DAY ON 8-30-85 AND IT WAS HEAVY AT TIMES. THERE WAS AN APPROX. LEVEL PATH OF BROKEN TREES/LIMBS INTO MOUNTAINIDE AT THE SITE.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 1984; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-320E1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W48 Baltimore MD at 5:30 pm
- Destination: I19 Xenia OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.