Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Bedford, Indiana, July 8, 2012
On July 8, 2012 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N8733V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bedford, Indiana (Virgil I. Grissom Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to return home.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2012 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bedford, Indiana · Virgil I. Grissom Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N8733V · registry record · serial 316-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a 2-hour cross-country flight with the airplane's fuel tanks full. While at his destination airport, the pilot, who was a physician, received word that a patient was in critical condition and that he needed to return as soon as possible. The pilot stated that the fuel gauges indicated over half full; he departed on the return flight without refueling the airplane. During the return flight, the pilot had to divert around weather and noticed that the fuel gauges were registering considerably less than previously noted. He altered course to a nearby airport. Shortly thereafter, the engine sputtered and lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made a forced landing in a rough field, and the airplane nosed over.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Motivation/respond to pressure › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,120 hours in all; 656 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,057 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,791 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2012; 9 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: KAAA Lincoln IN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: KBFR Bedford IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 3,089 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.