Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Cape May, New Jersey, July 4, 1985
On July 4, 1985 at about 4:29 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N1880G, was involved in an accident near Cape May, New Jersey (Cape May County Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
- July 4, 1985 · about 4:29 pm local time
- Place
- Cape May, New Jersey · Cape May County Airport
- 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
- N1880G · registry record · serial 50
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TOW PLANE CAME IN FOR A BANNER PICKUP. THE GROUND HANDLER HOLDING THE TAIL OF THE DOUBLE BANNER HAD HIS LEFT FOOT CAUGHT BY THE BANNER AS IT WENT AIRBORNE. THE GROUND HANDLER WAS CARRIED 50 TO 100 FT IN THE AIR PRIOR TO FALLING TO THE GROUND. THE GROUND HANDLER WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED AND PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE GROUND HANDLER WHO HAD BEEN EMPLOYED TWO WEEKS HAD RECEIVED TRAINING ON PROPER PROCEDURES. NO TRAINING IS REQUIRED BY THE 14 CFR 91.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,518 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACY Atlantic City NJ
- Destination: WWD Cape May CO. NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
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 N1880G 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.