Bellanca 7GCBC N53853

Summary

On 10 October 2025 at about 23:45 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N53853 was involved in an accident near Bonilla, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 October 2025 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bonilla, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Na (NA)

Coordinates

44.5624, -98.4671

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N53853

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tulare → Tulare

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN26LA019

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate flight planning and his failure to maintain aircraft control during the precautionary off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a personal flight when he realized that he would not be able to return to his private airstrip before sunset. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in a harvested soybean field. The pilot stated that the selected field was hillier than it appeared from altitude, and the airplane bounced upon touchdown, the propeller struck the ground, and during the sudden deceleration the airplane nosed over in the field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.