Bellanca 8GCBC accident near San Diego, California, November 22, 1987
On November 22, 1987 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N53917, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- November 22, 1987 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N53917 · no longer on the register · serial 194-76
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE PLT WAS COMPLETING A BANNER TOWING OPN, HE APPLIED PWR TO CLIMB FROM 500' TO 1500' TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. AS HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, THEN LOST PWR. HE SAID THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE & HE RELEASED THE BANNER. HE STEERED THE ACFT AWAY FROM SURFERS & DITCHED IT IN ROUGH WATER. THE ACFT & ENG WERE BADLY DAMAGED BY THE HVY SURF & SALT WATER. THE ENG WAS EVENTUALLY RECOVERED, EXAMINED & TORN DOWN. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND, EXCEPT THE ENG DRIVEN OIL PUMP HOUSING & IMPELLERS SHOWED SIGNS OF FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE. A WITNESS HAD TAKEN A PHOTO OF THE THE ACFT BEFORE IT WAS DITCHED. THE PHOTO SHOWED A HVY TRAIL OF SMOKE (BELIEVED TO BE FROM OIL) COMING FROM THE ACFT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,518 hours in all; 952 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,376 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,095 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 1987; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Ads
The flight
- Departed from: SDM San Diego CA at 8:25 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from SAN
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.