Bellanca 7GCBC accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, December 24, 2009
On December 24, 2009 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N8634V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near St. Petersburg, Florida. It was a banner-towing 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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2009 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · 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
- N8634V · registry record · serial 814-75
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While returning from a 50-minute banner towing flight, the airplane's engine began losing power. The pilot determined that the airplane would be unable to reach the destination airport and elected to perform a forced landing to a golf course. He decided not to detach the banner the airplane was towing, partly out of concern for persons and property on the ground, and partly so that it could act as a drag device during the subsequent off-airport landing. During the landing, when the pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid several golfers standing in the airplane's path during rollout, the right wing struck a tree resulting in substantial damage. A brief postaccident test run of the engine showed no evidence of any mechanical abnormalities. Temperature and dewpoint conditions at the time of the accident were favorable to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power settings.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,766 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2009; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Biplane Rides Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St. Petersburg FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SPG, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.