Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Panama City, Florida, August 1, 1983
On August 1, 1983 at about 4:34 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N88477, was destroyed in an accident near Panama City, Florida (Panama City/Bay City airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people 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
- August 1, 1983 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · Panama City/Bay City
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N88477 · registry record · serial 136-75
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AS HE WAS RECOVERING FROM THE 1ST BANNER TOW MISSION, HE NOTED A LINE OF CUMULUS BUILDUPS MOVING NORTHERLY FROM OVER THE GULF TOWARD THE ARPT. HE ELECTED NOT TO PICK UP ANOTHER BANNER. HE PLANNED JUST TO DROP THE BANNER HE WAS TOWING, THEN LAND. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH & HAD BEEN INCREASING. THE TOWER CLEARED HIM TO DROP THE BANNER BESIDE RWY 04, THEN TO LAND ON RWY 14. THE APCH & BANNER DROP WERE NORMAL. DURING A PULL-UP AFTER THE BANNER DROP, THE ACFT STALLED & THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER BEORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE SURFACE WX OBSERVATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS, IN PART: 1600 BROKEN, 15,000 BROKEN, VISIBILITY 7 MI, THUNDERSTORM, WIND FROM 160 DEG AT 10 GUSTING 16 KTS, CUMULONIMBUS ALL QUADRANTS MOVING NORTHWEST.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,425 hours in all; 315 in this make and model; 295 in the last 90 days; 4,821 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 1982; 693 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; not recorded at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:34 pm from PFN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.