Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Pueblo, Colorado, October 8, 1988
On October 8, 1988 at about 11:36 pm local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N102EC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pueblo, Colorado. 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
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
- October 8, 1988 · about 11:36 pm local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · 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
- N102EC · no longer on the register · serial 372-78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PLT & HIS PVT PLT WIFE WERE FLYING X-COUNTRY ON VACATION. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH & LOST POWER. DRG AN EMERGENCY DSCNT, THE PLT RESTARTED THE ENG & INITIATED A CLIMB TO SELECT A BETTER LNDG SITE, BUT THE ENG LOST POWER AGAIN. EFFORTS TO RESTART THE ENG A 2ND TIME FAILED. AN EMERGENCY LNDG WAS MADE TO THE WEST ON A GRAVEL ROAD WITH A GUSTY X-WIND FROM THE NORTH. THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG THE LNDG ROLL, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL & THE PLANE WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CROSSED A DITCH & WAS DAMAGED. DRG A POST ACDNT INSPN, NO FUEL WASFOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK & LESS THAN 2 QUARTS WAS REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK. DRG AN OPNL CHECK OF THE ENG, IT STARTED & RAN NORMALLY.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,850 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 7,650 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 819 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1988; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Clark Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: GCK Garden City KS at 9:50 pm
- Destination: OV2 Salida CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N102EC 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.