Bellanca 7GCBC accident near N.Battle Moun., Nevada, October 30, 1985
On October 30, 1985 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registered N5051C, was destroyed in an accident near N.Battle Moun., Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- October 30, 1985 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- N.Battle Moun., Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N5051C · registry record · serial 1144-79
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AFTER ATTEMPTING AN AEROBATTIC MANEUVER AT ABOUT 300 FEET AGL. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A LOOP OR CLIMBING ROLL AND DIVEINTO THE GROUND. NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE PILOTS FLYING TIME HAD BEEN IN THIS ARCRAFT.
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: 120 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,210 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 29, 1985; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 pm from BAM, 30 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.