Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Reno, Nevada, May 22, 2003
On May 22, 2003 at about 2:00 am local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N68567, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reno, Nevada (Reno/Stead airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2003 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno/Stead · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N68567 · registry record · serial 395-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor made a hard landing following a loss of engine power during takeoff initial climb. After adding 10 gallons of fuel to the airplane, the flight instructor and the student taxied to the hold short line and completed an uneventful run-up for runway 26. The airplane rotated at 60 miles per hour (mph) indicated airspeed (IAS), and the instructor told the student to pitch for the best rate of climb speed. Approximately 500 feet above ground level, as the student was turning crosswind, the engine "coughed." The flight instructor told the student to apply full throttle and mixture; the tachometer was then reading 2,100 rpm. The engine "coughed" again and the rpm decreased to 1,500 rpm. Then, the engine completely lost power. The flight instructor decided to try to return to the runway. The airplane was in a right turn at 500 feet agl. As the airplane approached runway 8, the airspeed was 61 mph IAS. The airplane touched down on the runway, still in the turn. The left main landing gear sheared off and the airplane slid to a stop in the gravel on the south side of the runway. Post accident examination of the engine revealed that the mixture control arm could not reach the "FULL RICH" position. This anomaly could not be explained by impact damage. Considering the elevation of the airport and the likely 7,600-foot density altitude, investigators were uncertain about the relationship between the mixture control travel limit and the loss of engine power. No other discrepancies were noted with 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 847 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 808 as pilot in command; 170 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4SD Reno NV at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,608 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from RNO, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.