Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Hinckley, Illinois, August 19, 1996
On August 19, 1996 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N5026Q, was destroyed in an accident near Hinckley, Illinois. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the instructor pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the aircraft which resulted in the overload failure of the wing. A factor was that the weight and balance of the aircraft was exceeded by the instructor pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1996 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hinckley, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N5026Q · no longer on the register · serial 38979
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine tach indicated that the instructor pilot and student pilot had operated the airplane for about 5 minutes before it crashed about 1/2 mile south of the departure end of the runway. A witness reported he saw the airplane already established in a left spiral at 500 to 700 feet AGL, in about a 70-degree nose-down attitude. He reported the wings were intact as it spiraled very fast before the right wing separated straight back from the aircraft. The examination of the right wing strut attach fitting indicated it failed as a result of overstressing loads. The examination of the fore and aft wood spars indicated they had failed as a result of overload forces. The examination of the inboard rear strut attach fitting indicated it had failed in tension overload. The aircraft was 94 pounds over the maximum gross weight.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,104 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 340 in the last 90 days; 144 in the last 30 days; 995 as pilot in command; 217 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1996; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0C2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from ARR, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.