Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Byron, CA
On May 9, 2020, a Bellanca 8GCBC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Byron, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 9, 2020
- Place
- Byron, CA
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.835°N, 121.631°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200511X00738
Official records · WPR20LA141
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On May 9, 2020, about 1319 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, N4116Y, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Byron Airport (C83), Byron, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 glider tow flight. The glider that was being towed by the accident airplane was a Schweizer SGS 1-26E. The pilot of the glider reported that the accident flight was his and the tow airplane pilot’s second flight of the day and that their first flight was uneventful; the airplane towed the glider to an altitude of 3,500 ft, at which point the tow pilot released the glider. For the second flight, the glider pilot stated that he performed the preflight checklist, which included verifying that the canopy was closed and locked. According to the glider pilot, after a normal takeoff, the tow airplane pilot initiated a slight right turn; shortly afterward, the canopy of the glider opened. The glider pilot further stated that the canopy began “flapping” open and closed and that he attempted to secure the canopy while controlling the glider. The glider pilot added that he became briefly disoriented but was able to turn back toward the airport, which is when he saw that the tow airplane had crashed at the end of the runway. Airport security camera recordings as shown in the figure below, captured the accident sequence. The tow airplane became airborne about midway along the length of the runway and made a shallow climb with the glider in trail at a similar altitude. About 7 seconds after the tow airplane became ai
Probable cause
The tow airplane pilot’s loss of control resulting from the glider pilot’s failure to maintain a proper altitude behind the tow airplane, which caused the tail of the tow airplane to be lifted upward and the tow airplane to pitch nose down while at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the glider pilot’s distraction when the canopy opened in flight.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
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- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · Bellanca aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
