Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, October 27, 1999
On October 27, 1999 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N8707V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado (Walker Field 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
A failure of the left main landing gear attachment (u-bolt) due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1999 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Junction, Colorado · Walker Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N8707V · registry record · serial 190-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing rollout, the left main landing gear collapsed and separated from the aircraft. The airplane ground looped and departed the runway to the left, turning 180 degrees and coming to rest on its left side. Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that the left main landing gear u-bolt failed. The bolt fractured through the bend between the horizontal and vertical leg of the bolt. The fractured surface revealed ratchet marks and crack arrest positions typical of fatigue cracking, while the fractured features on the remaining surface were typical of an overstress failure. The fractured surface of the bolt at the failure initiation area was damaged following the separation and the reason for the fatigue initiation was could not be determined.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,815 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 7,508 as pilot in command; 5,932 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,449 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 1999; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-320-E1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GJT Grand Junction CO at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 10,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 pm from GJT
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.