Bellanca BGCBC accident near Shell Lake, Wisconsin, April 17, 1989
On April 17, 1989 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Bellanca BGCBC, registered N7775S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shell Lake, Wisconsin (Shell Lake Muni airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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
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 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1989 · about 9:40 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Shell Lake, Wisconsin · Shell Lake Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca BGCBC
- Registration
- N7775S · registry record · serial 227-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: State of Wisconsin
The flight
- Departed from: SSQ at 8:30 pm
- Destination: SSQ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,700 ft by 50 ft
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7775S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bellanca 2,698 aircraft on the register
- Shell Lake Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,619 since 1982 · 225 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI89TL%2302.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.