Bellanca 7ECA accident near Malibu, California, September 1, 2005
On September 1, 2005 at about 5:27 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N2686Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Malibu, California. It was an aerial observation 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
a partial 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
- September 1, 2005 · about 5:27 pm local time
- Place
- Malibu, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N2686Z · no longer on the register · serial 1229-78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power and the pilot ditched in the ocean. While en route over the ocean on a fish-spotting mission, the pilot noticed a decrease in engine power. The pilot's scan of the cockpit gauges revealed no anomalies, with the exception of a slight rise in oil temperature. As the pilot maneuvered the airplane toward land, the oil temperature continued to rise and he heard a loud "bang" followed by a vibration. Engine oil began to cover the windshield and the airplane continued to lose altitude. With the engine still running, the pilot ditched the airplane in the ocean about 5 miles from the coastline. The airplane sank to the ocean floor, about 1,200 feet underwater.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 4,450 in this make and model; 288 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA
- Destination: CMA Camarillo CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.