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20251010014609A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bellanca 7GCBC · Bonilla, SD · October 10, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 10, 2025 · 18:45 local
Place
Bonilla, SD
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N53853
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA019
Reported as
Bellanca 7GCBC
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
352 total145 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N53853Registered now · Bellanca 7GCBCS/N 908-76 · Built 1976Airframe modelBellanca 7GCBCEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Took off on pleasure flight and then into the flight realized darkness was coming faster than I would be able to get back to home field. Decided to land in a harvested soybean field. Ground was more uneven than expected. Aircraft sank in soft dirt and flipped over onto its back.

As the FAA filed it

TOOK OFF ON PLEASURE FLIGHT AND THEN INTO THE FLIGHT REALIZED DARKNESS WAS COMING FASTER THAN I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO HOME FIELD. DECIDED TO LAND IN A HARVESTED SOYBEAN FIELD. GROUND WAS MORE UNEVEN THAN EXPECTED. AIRCRAFT SANK IN SOFT DIRT AND FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS BACK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN26LA019Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportBonilla, SDThe pilot’s inadequate flight planning and his failure to maintain aircraft control during the precautionary off-airport landing.Oct 10, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N53853 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19920512020599ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Longmont, COGround looped during landing,CFI was teaching transtion to tail wheel aircraft.May 12, 1992 · Substantial damage