Bellanca 7KCAB N68551

Summary

On 14 June 2003 at about 17:05 local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB registered N68551 was involved in an accident near Dover, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 June 2003 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Dover, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Short Creek (private) (8TN7)

Coordinates

36.4042, -88.0158

Aircraft

Bellanca 7KCAB

Registration

N68551

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dover → Paducah

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03FA125

2 people died.

The pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions including instrument meteorological conditions and turbulence in thunderstorms, which resulted in a loss of control in flight and subsequent collision with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane departed a private airstrip shortly before the arrival of a thunderstorm, and one witness stated it used an abnormal amount of runway. A second witness stated the engine sounded like it was laboring, and another witness stated it sounded normal. One witness described the storm as a "virtual wall of water." The airplane was not equipped with an artificial horizon instrument. When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, a search was initiated. On June 22, 2003, a portion of the left main landing gear strut and tire was located in the river a few hundred yards from the departure airport. On August 8, 2003, the airplane was located in the water a few miles from the departure airport. Examination revealed no evidence of airframe, engine, or component malfunction. A review of radar and satellite data revealed a large area of thunderstorms along the intended route of flight, with cumulus clouds embedded in an overcast layer, a band of towering cumulus to developing cumulonimbus clouds, and an area of radar echoes across the intended route of flight with reflectivities at video integrator and processor (VIP) Level 4 to 5, "very strong" to "intense" intensity.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.