On July 8, 1987, a Bellanca 8GCBC (registration N87099) was involved in an aviation accident near Holdrege, NE. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
According to witnesses, an aircraft experienced a left wing failure while performing a loop, causing it to plummet out of control. Pieces of the wing were later found on a neighboring farm.
Incident Overview
Multiple witnesses reported that the aircraft was executing a loop maneuver. During the loop, the left wing failed, bending upward and rearward. This failure caused the aircraft to lose control and plunge to the ground. The witnesses noted that the aircraft appeared to be experiencing difficulty from the entry into the loop and throughout the entire maneuver.
Wreckage Recovery
Several weeks after the on-site inspection of the wreckage was completed, a neighbor living near the airport discovered pieces of the failed left wing on his farm property. The debris was located on the neighbor's farmland, having separated from the aircraft during the accident.