Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Roswell, New Mexico, March 7, 1983
On March 7, 1983 at about 2:07 am local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N5042J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roswell, New Mexico (Roswell Industrial airport). It was a business 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 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
- March 7, 1983 · about 2:07 am local time
- Place
- Roswell, New Mexico · Roswell Industrial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N5042J · registry record · serial 501-79
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AS THE ACFT WAS ON BASE LEG FOR LANDING. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE FULL POWER AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN UMIMPROVED AREA APRX 2 MI FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT, THE RIGHT WING TIP HIT A LARGE WOODEN FENCE POST BEFORE THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO STOP. APRX 1 GAL OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANKS DURING A POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION. THE FUEL CAPACITY WAS 40 GAL, OF WHICH, .77 GAL WAS UNUSABLE. AFTER THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT (FROM ROSWELL, NM TO ADDISION, TX), 27 GAL OF FUEL WAS ADDED. THE PLT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED FULL PRIOR TO TAKEOFF; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL DURING HIS PREFLIGHT. APRX 10 MIN PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT ROSWELL, THE RIGHT TANK INDICATED EMPTY & THE LEFT TANK INDICATED ABOUT 1/8 FULL. THE TOTAL ELAPSED TIME OF THE FLIGHT WAS 3 HRS & 42 MIN IN ADDITION TO A 20 MIN GROUND DELAY AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,653 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 1981; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 13,000 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from ROW
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.