Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Rockingham, North Carolina, March 4, 1990
On March 4, 1990 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N57392, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockingham, North Carolina (Drag Strip airport). It was a personal 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
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE ATTEMPTING A LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1990 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rockingham, North Carolina · Drag Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N57392 · no longer on the register · serial 487-73
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ATTEMPTING A LANDING ON A RACEWAY/RUNWAY, THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER A GUARDRAIL. REPORTEDLY, WIND FROM THE LEFT PICKED UP THE LEFT WING AND THE PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT AN AIRPLANE PROBLEM.
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: 186 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 462 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1989; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLC Dillon SC at 2:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,000 ft by 66 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from FAY, 40 miles away
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.