Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Cody, Wyoming, July 20, 1983
On July 20, 1983 at about 3:15 am local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N88399, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cody, Wyoming (Faust Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1983 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Cody, Wyoming · Faust Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N88399 · registry record · serial 777-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT GROUNDLOOPED DURING LANDING AND DAMAGED THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT HAD 80 HOURS IN TAILWHEEL ACFT BUT ONLY 1.6IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL. THE LANDING WAS ON RWY 22 AND THE WIND WAS FROM 130 DEGREES AT 10 TO 12 KTS. THE PLT SLIPPED THE ACFT ON FINAL APPROACH AND MADE A FULL STALL FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE WIND PICKED UP THE LEFT WING AND THE ACFT TURNED LEFT. DURING THE TURN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE PLT SAID HE WAS NOTFAMILIAR WITH THE BRAKES AND MAY HAVE INADVERTANTLY APPLIED ONE OF THE BRAKES.
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: 453 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 676 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 28, 1983; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0320-A2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N88399 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.