Bellanca 7KCAB accident near Poston, Arizona, September 4, 1986
On September 4, 1986 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, registered N68573, was substantially damaged in an accident near Poston, Arizona (Bruce Church airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 1986 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Poston, Arizona · Bruce Church · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N68573 · registry record · serial 327-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE END OF A LOCAL PRACTICE FLIGHT THE PLT OVERFLEW THE RWY AND OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK. SHE NOTED THE SPEED AND DIRECTION TO BE 5 KTS FROM THE NORTH AND ELECTED TO LAND DOWNWIND FOR EASY ACCESS TO THE FUEL TANKS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH END. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE PLT ADDED POWER TO STRAIGHTEN THE ACFT. THE CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS NOT MAINTAINED AND IT TRAVELED OFF THE RWY, COLLIDED WITH A BERM AND NOSED OVER.
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: 219 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 1986; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P20 Parker AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Poston AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N68573 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.