Bellanca 7ECA accident near Kimball, Nebraska, April 21, 2001
On April 21, 2001 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N53950, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kimball, Nebraska. 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 not maintaining clearance from the terrain. A factor was that the pilot misjudged the low altitude flight maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2001 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kimball, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N53950 · no longer on the register · serial 1148-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain while maneuvering. The pilot sustained minor injury and passenger sustained serious injury. The flight's purpose was to track weather balloons. The pilot stated, "On the third pass over one of these roads, I did a similar climbing turn then descending turn as I had done (and have done hundreds of times before) however, I did not carry enough power in the climbing turn. On the descending turn portion, our descent rate was high enough that out leveling off point ended up below the ground. At impact we were in an almost 3 pt attitude with full power, but again not in the attitude long enough to arrest descent."
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: 851 hours in all; 426 in this make and model; 815 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 8, 1998
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 2001; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Fort Collins/Lo CO at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from BFF, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.