Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Lodge, Illinois, April 8, 1990
On April 8, 1990 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N55JJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lodge, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF. THE CROSSWIND AND THE SOFT/UNEVEN TERRAIN WERE FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1990 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lodge, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N55JJ · registry record · serial 311-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS TOWING A GLIDER. DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN IN A STRONG CROSSWIND, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A SOFT PLOWED FIELD AND NOSED OVER. THE GLIDER PILOT RELEASED THE TOW. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, BUT THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. TAKEOFF WAS TO THE WEST. TWENTY-TWO MILES TO THE NORTHEAST, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED FROM 220 DEGREES AT 20 KNOTS.
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
- LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER during takeoff - roll/run
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during takeoff - roll/run
- NOSE OVER during takeoff - roll/run
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 919 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 910 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Illini Glider Club, INC.
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from DEC, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI90LA110.