Bellanca 7ECA accident near Arlington, Texas, April 15, 2000
On April 15, 2000 at about 2:00 am local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N2868Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, Texas (Arlington Municipal airport). 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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll. A factor was the pilot's total lack of experience in tailwheel airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2000 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas · Arlington Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N2868Z · registry record · serial 1237-78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll on runway 16, the 45-hour student pilot lost directional control of the tailwheel equipped airplane. The airplane exited the runway, encountered muddy ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The wind was reported from 150 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot had never flown a tailwheel airplane prior to the accident flight, and according to the airplane owner, was only authorized to taxi the airplane following maintenance.
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: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 45 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from GKY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.