Bellanca 7GCAA accident near Azle, Texas, April 23, 1994
On April 23, 1994 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, registered N86862, was destroyed in an accident near Azle, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN AND OBSTACLE CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE INSTRUCTOR'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1994 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Azle, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N86862 · no longer on the register · serial 310-75
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD GIVEN THE RATED PILOT BEING CHECKED OUT IN THE AIRPLANE A SERIES OF SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURES. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS AND BANKED THE AIRCRAFT HARD TO THE RIGHT, THEN ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT, CROSSING A FENCE LINE AT THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. THE RATE OF DESCENT WENT FROM 500 FEET PER MINUTE 'TO SOME VERY LARGE NEGATIVE NUMBER.' FULL POWER WAS APPLIED UPON TERMINATION OF THE FORCED LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE LEFT TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT WHEN HE FELT A DOWNDRAFT AND NOTICED A TREE STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE RIGHT FUEL CELL RUPTURED UPON IMPACT WITH THE TREE AND A POST IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRPLANE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,452 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 1993; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Fort Worth TX at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from FTW, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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 N86862 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.