Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Laurel, Montana, September 30, 2007
On September 30, 2007 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N41695, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laurel, Montana (Laurel Municipal 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
Corrosion and fatigue-induced failure of the landing gear structure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2007 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Laurel, Montana · Laurel Municipal
- 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
- N41695 · registry record · serial 593-73
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight, the left main landing gear assembly broke during rollout following a normal landing. An examination of the gear assembly revealed evidence that a step had been spot welded onto the gear. Over time, corrosion developed in the vicinity of the weld, and the gear fractured due to corrosion induced fatigue and separated. No evidence of gear maintenance specific to the welding of the step to the gear assembly was documented in the airplane's maintenance records.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,415 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 154 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S68 Laurel MT
- Destination: S68 Laurel MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.