Bellanca GCBC accident near Spokane, Washington, September 11, 1983
On September 11, 1983 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Bellanca GCBC, registered N9580S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spokane, Washington (Felts Field). 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1983 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Spokane, Washington · Felts Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca GCBC
- Registration
- N9580S · registry record · serial 30
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PLT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH & GO LANDINGS. DURING A LANDING, THE ACFT GROUND LOOPED & THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCK A VASI LIGHT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD 4.2 HRS IN THIS MAKE & MODEL.
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: 80 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 43 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 991 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1982; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFF Spokane WA at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 4,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:39 pm from SFF
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 N9580S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA83LA199.