Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Long Beach, California, July 4, 1995
On July 4, 1995 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N8634, was destroyed in an accident near Long Beach, California (Long Beach Muni airport). It was an other work-use 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 inadvertent entanglement of the banner tow cable with the rudder control system, which resulted in a full and uncorrectable deflection of the rudder, and the pilot's inability to control the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1995 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N8634 · no longer on the register · serial 460-73
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TOW SYSTEM ON THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTS OF A SHORT CABLE ATTACHED TO THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A HOOK ON THE END. THE HOOK IS THEN USED TO SNAG THE BANNER CABLE DURING A PICKUP MANEUVER. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE CABLE IS ROUTED OUTBOARD OF THE RUDDER CONTROL CABLES WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THE HORN AND SPRINGS OF THE TAIL WHEEL STEERING MECHANISM. THE PILOT THEN HOLDS THE HOOK UNDER TENSION WITH HIS LEFT HAND DURING THE TAKEOFF AND DROPS THE HOOK ONCE AIRBORNE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LIFTED OFF NORMALLY, DROPPED THE HOOK CABLE, AND THEN HOOKED THE BANNER CABLE NEAR THE END OF RUNWAY 25R. IMMEDIATELY, THE RUDDER WENT TO A FULL RIGHT DEFLECTION AND THE PILOT COULD NOT CORRECT THE RUDDER WITH A PEDAL APPLICATION. THE PILOT MADE TWO RIGHT TURNS NEAR THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND SNAGGED THE BANNER ON A FENCE. THE TORN BANNER THEN BECAME UNSTABLE AND SNAGGED ON TREES AT AN ADJACENT GOLF COURSE AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE THIRD FAIRWAY. FRESH CABLE SIGNATURES WERE PRESENT COMPLETELY AROUND THE RUDDER CONTROL HORN AT THE RUDDER CABLE ATTACH POINT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 626 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 38 in the last 30 days; 463 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 6,192 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from LGB
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 N8634 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.