Bellanca 7KCAB N8946

Summary

On 4 April 2024 at about 03:11 local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB registered N8946 was involved in an accident near Bluff Dale, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 April 2024 at 03:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Bluff Dale, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.3100, -98.0580

Aircraft

Bellanca 7KCAB

Registration

N8946

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brownwood → Granbury

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN24LA147

1 person had minor injuries.

An engine compartment fire for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive thermal damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while enroute at 5,500 ft on a night cross-country flight, flames started coming out of the oil access door on the airplane’s cowling. The pilot executed an emergency landing and exited the airplane without further incident or injury. The fire continued to burn, and the airplane was destroyed. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine confirmed evidence of a fire in the engine compartment but its source could not be identified due to extensive thermal damage. The reason for the fire could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.