Bellanca 7ACA accident near Lakeside, Texas, September 18, 1994
On September 18, 1994 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ACA, registered N68529, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeside, Texas (Flying Oaks airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM REQUIRED AIRSPEED FOR FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1994 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeside, Texas · Flying Oaks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ACA · all 7ACAs on the register
- Registration
- N68529 · registry record · serial 59-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS STATED THE AIRPLANE FLEW OVER HIS HOUSE AND 'THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND QUIT.' THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN A FIELD AND WAS FUELED WITH 4.5 GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE LOW LEAD AVGAS. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED AND FLEW TO THE FLYING OAKS AIRPORT, LAKESIDE, TEXAS. THE PILOT FUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH 5.7 GALLONS OF 87 OCTANE UNLEADED AUTO FUEL. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH AND RETURNED TO THE AIRSTRIP WITH AN ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT BELIEVED HE WAS HAVING A FUEL STARVATION PROBLEM. THE PILOT CUT THE FUEL CAP GASKET TO OPEN UP THE VENT HOLE. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH. AFTER LIFT OFF THE AIRPLANE ANGLED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND WHEN THE AIRPLANE REACHED 30 TO 40 FEET ABOVE THE TREES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO 'RUN ROUGH.' THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARDS THE RUNWAY, AND ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS, 'THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE LEFT WING STALLED AND PLANE WENT IN-STRAIGHT.' AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POWER.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,497 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 597 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1994; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F64 at 3:30 pm
- Destination: F64 TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from FTW, 10 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N68529 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW94FA299.