Bellanca 7KCAB accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, October 22, 2002
On October 22, 2002, a Bellanca 7KCAB, registered N41807, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado (Ft Collins/Loveland Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and his failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2002
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · Ft Collins/Loveland Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N41807 · registry record · serial 403-73
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was doing touch-and-go landings on runway 15. On this approach, he made a 3-point landing and bounced. He settled the airplane back down for a second 3-point landing, but there was a "lack of directional ground control and some drift to the right of centerline." He added full power for a go-around, but the controls felt "mushy," and there was a "lack of aileron control." The airplane drifted to the right, struck the runway with its right wingtip, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both the left and right wing spars, empennage, forward fuselage, both main landing gear attachment points, rudder and left horizontal stabilizer. The winds were, 070 degrees at 07 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 387 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2002; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Fort Collins CO
- Destination: FNL Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 8,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.