Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Capron, Illinois, July 8, 2000
On July 8, 2000 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N8739V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Capron, Illinois. 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 pilot attempting an aerobatic maneuver at a low altitude and the pilot not maintaining clearance from the terrain. A factor to the accident was the pilot disregarding the federal aviation regulations concerning the minimum altitudes required for aerobatic operations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2000 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Capron, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N8739V · no longer on the register · serial 198-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted an aerobatic roll maneuver at an altitude lower than 100 feet above ground level and impacted the terrain at the completion of the maneuver. No anomalies with the aircraft or its engine could be associated to any pre-impact condition. According to the Bellanca 8KCAB Owner Manual, "Remember, altitude is your best insurance when doing aerobatics. According to Federal Aviation Regulations, the minimum legal altitude for aerobatics is 1500 feet AGL. Keep in mind that 1500 feet is therefore the minimum recovery altitude from any inadvertent maneuver and that 1000 feet of altitude can often be lost in a three-turn spin." 14 CFR Part 91.303, entitled "Aerobatic Flight", states that no person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight below an altitude below 1,500 feet above ground level. 14 CFR Part 91.303 further states, "For the purposes of this section, aerobatic flight means an intentional maneuver involving an abrupt change in an aircraft's attitude, an abnormal attitude, or abnormal acceleration, not necessary for normal flight."
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,200 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 269 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,076 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 2000; 38.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-320-E1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Capron IL
- Destination: PVT Capron IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from RFD, 22 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.