Bellanca 7ECA accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, June 6, 2018
On June 6, 2018 at about 1:15 pm local time, a 1975 Bellanca 7ECA, registered N8646V, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Fairbanks, Alaska. 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 airplane’s collision with a bird while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2018 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA NO SERIES, built 1975 · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N8646V · registry record · serial 1089-75
- 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, a bird struck the airplane's windscreen when he was practicing a steep turn. The airplane remained controllable, and he returned to the airport and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen, windows, and skylight. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector revealed that the skylight had been installed incorrectly. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Birdstrike during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,546.3 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,020 as pilot in command; 101 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 30, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,780.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 2,780 hours total
- Operator: Proflite Of Alaska, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Destination: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.56 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PAFA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 7, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.