Bellanca 7ECA accident near Bedford, Massachusetts, August 10, 1996
On August 10, 1996 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N5067C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bedford, Massachusetts (Hanscom Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a ground loop/swerve. The variable wind condition was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1996 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bedford, Massachusetts · Hanscom Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N5067C · registry record · serial 1333-80
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane went off the side of the runway during the landing, followed by collapse of the right main gear. The pilot reported: 'We came over the numbers at 80 mph indicated airspeed, and I flared the aircraft and we made a wheel landing, touching down at approximately 65 mph indicated airspeed. Everything was fine at first and then the aircraft veered to the right, into the wind. 'I corrected with left rudder pedal, and as I did, the tail wheel settled onto the runway. The aircraft made an abrupt turn to the left, and I realized we were in a ground loop. I added a little power, got the tail wheel off the ground, and recovered from the ground loop, but we were heading off the left side of the runway, approximately 85 to 90 degrees from runway heading. I had regained control of the aircraft, but we didn't have enough room to maneuver back onto the runway. I closed the throttle and started braking the aircraft. When we departed the runway, I leaned the mixture, and continued braking. Everything was fine until we hit a bump, and the aircraft jerked violently to the left, resting on the right side.' The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction. He stated the accident could have been prevented if he had 'additional training in crosswind landings for tail dragger aircraft.'
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: 147 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 105 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,224 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 1996; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-K2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hanscom Afb Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: BED
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from BED
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.
Other NTSB records under N5067C 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.