Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Krum, Texas, September 7, 2006
On September 7, 2006 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N50340, was substantially damaged in an accident near Krum, Texas (Air Cowboy Airport). It was an instructional 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 CFI's and ATP's inflight decision to land halfway down the runway and the ATP's delayed decision to abort the landing. A factor was the ATP's excessive airspeed on final.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2006 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Krum, Texas · Air Cowboy Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N50340 · no longer on the register · serial 1074-79
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,800-hour flight instructor and the 4,500-hour airline transport pilot (ATP), who was an FAA inspector, were practicing takeoffs and landings in a tail-wheel equipped single-engine airplane, when the airplane's left and right wing struts collided with a T-bar and wood fence post during an aborted landing. The ATP rented the airplane for the purpose of recurrency training under the provisions of the FAA's 4040.9D Flight Management Program. Prior to the flight, the inspector noted that the left brake pedal had excessive travel, but the instructor stated that there had not been any problems reported with the brakes. The inspector and instructor then flew to a private airport to practice takeoffs and landings on a 3,501-foot-long and 250-foot-wide turf runway. The inspector had never flown into this airport before. While on the first approach to landing, the inspector noted large birds on the runway so he executed a go-around and the birds dispersed. On the next approach to landing, he noted that the birds had returned to the runway. The flight instructor suggested that the inspector land beyond where the birds were located, which was about half-way down the runway. The inspector said he maintained an approach speed of 85 miles per hour (mph), which he later admitted was about 30 mph too fast. When the airplane touched down on the runway, he realized that it sloped downhill and he would not have enough runway length to stop. Plus, the left brake was not working properly, so he aborted the landing. The inspector added full power and began to climb; however, the right wing strut collided with a metal T-bar and a wooded fence post, which were obstructed by bushes. The pilot was able to maintain directional control of the airplane, but elected to return to the private airport and land. Examination of the airplane revealed the left and right wing struts were both damaged; however, the wood spar in the right wing was split about 2 to 3-inches. The ATP later reported that the airplane would have needed at least 2,000 feet of runway length to safely stop the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,296 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 52F Roanoke TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: TE58 Air Cowboy TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,501 ft by 250 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N50340 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.