Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Rainbow City, Alabama, May 22, 2020
On May 22, 2020, a 1972 Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N68555, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rainbow City, Alabama. 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 partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2020
- Place
- Rainbow City, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB, built 1972 · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N68555 · no longer on the register · serial 23-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during the flight back to the departure airport after practicing aerobatic maneuvers, the engine started to "cut off and on." The pilot decided to make an emergency landing in a field. The airplane impacted trees, and the landing gear and both wings were buckled. The wreckage examination found that both fuel tanks were breached and absent of fuel. The airplane was recovered from the accident site, and an engine test run was conducted. Prior to the test run, all fuel lines leading to the fuel pumps and fuel servo were examined. The mechanical and electrical fuel pumps were checked, and no anomalies were noted. An external fuel tank was plumbed to the mechanical pump for the test run. The fuel-injected engine was started and run for 2 to 3 minutes at various rpms, and no anomalies were noted.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Malfunction
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 438 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 377 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E1A (piston); 650 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAD Gadsden AL at 11:23 pm
- Destination: GAD Gadsden AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from GAD, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 1, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record FAA Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.