Bellanca 7ACA accident near Pacific City, Oregon, May 14, 2026
On May 14, 2026 at about 11:14 pm local time, a 1971 Bellanca 7ACA, registered N9158L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pacific City, Oregon (Pacific City State airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during a precautionary landing following a partial reduction in engine rpm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2026 · about 11:14 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific City, Oregon · Pacific City State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ACA, built 1971 · all 7ACAs on the register
- Registration
- N9158L · no longer on the register · serial 19-71
- 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 airplane reported that, during the initial climb, the engine began to run abnormally and lose RPM. While troubleshooting, he noted the right magneto dropped by about 500 RPM. Unable to correct the malfunction, he chose to return to the departure airport to perform a precautionary landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right, while correcting with rudder and brake, the airplane veered to the left and subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and rudder. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 14 with wind from 230° at 8 knots. Post accident examination of the ignition system revealed that the No. 3 cylinder ignition lead was degraded. The center conductor fell apart when the connector end was removed. The dielectric was worn and the center conductor was loose inside of the wire, allowing it to intermittently ground out against the shield and spring. No faults were observed with the remaining 7 leads. The reduction in engine RPM noted by the pilot was consistent with a faulty ignition lead. To facilitate recovery of the airplane, both tailwheel steering springs were disconnected by first responders from the tailwheel steering arm.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 429 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 376 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,833.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12FJH (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ONP Newport OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 1,860 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KTMK, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTMK 142315Z AUTO 23008KT 10SM SCT027 BKN039 OVC065 14/11 A3020 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 9, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of E-mail Correspondence (FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Phone Conversation (FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9158L 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 WPR26LA193.