Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Cornville, Arizona, February 28, 1985
On February 28, 1985 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N6328N, was destroyed in an accident near Cornville, Arizona. It was a personal 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 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
- February 28, 1985 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cornville, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N6328N · no longer on the register · serial 88
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON A LOCAL FLT WITH THE OWNER/PRIVATE PLT & A STUDENT PLT ON BOARD. WHILE IN AEROBATIC FLT OVER A NARROW CANYON/GULLY AREA, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH & SEVERED 3 POWER LINES & A STATIC LINE, LOCATED APRX 100 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. THE ACFT THEN CRASHED & CAME TO REST IN THE CANYON. ACCORDING TO A SHERIFF'S REPORT, THERE WAS A LOW CEILING & POOR VISIBILITY; HOWEVER, A WITNESS ESTIMATED A SKY CONDITION OF 5000 FT OVERCAST & SAID THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF VITREOUS FLUIDS SHOWED THE PLT/OWNER HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.097% & THE STUDENT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.05%.
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: 275 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,630 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 2, 1984; 594 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P52 Cornville AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
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.