Bellanca 7GCBC accident near Marion, Montana, March 20, 2004
On March 20, 2004 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N90076, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marion, Montana (Cabin Creek Landing airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the gust of wind and the snowbank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2004 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Montana · Cabin Creek Landing · 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
- N90076 · registry record · serial 414-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped aircraft touched down on the paved landing site after noting calm winds according to the windsock, and the aircraft then began to drift left. He then applied right rudder and the aircraft veered right departing the runway, impacting a snowbank and then nosing over. The pilot reported that another aircraft circling above advised him that his aircraft had been hit by a gust of wind from the right rear.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,242 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 31, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,453 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2003; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A25 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 65S Bonners Ferry ID
- Destination: Marion MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.52 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from FCA, 20 miles away
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.