Bellanca 7ECA accident near Naperville, Illinois, August 1, 1995
On August 1, 1995 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N5068K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naperville, Illinois (Naper Aero Club Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack or recent experience in tailwheel equipped aircraft and failure to abort the takeoff early enough to prevent the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1995 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 1995
- Place
- Naperville, Illinois · Naper Aero Club Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N5068K · registry record · serial 1338-80
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY A COLLISION WITH A HANGAR FOLLOWING THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT ENDORSEMENT DURING A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW TWENTY-ONE (21) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD ACQUIRED 15 HOURS TOTAL TIME IN TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT HOWEVER HE HAD NO RECENT EXPERIENCE IN TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT THE TWO PILOT/OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT EACH STATED THAT THE OTHER WAS PILOT-IN-COMMAND.
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: 123 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,617 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 1995; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-K2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LL10 at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 1C5 Plainfield IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,575 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from DPA, 11 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5068K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bellanca 7 Citabria 1,227 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bellanca 2,699 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-K2C 13 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Naper Aero Club Airport · nearest airport
- Bolingbrook'S Clow International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,070 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI95LA256.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.