19970401013349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Blanca 17-30A · Morristown, NJ · April 1, 1997

Date: April 1, 1997 · 14:22 local
Place: Morristown, NJ
Airport: Morristown Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8809V
Reported as: Blanca 1730A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 900 total450 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N8809VRegistered now · Bellanca 17-30AS/N 30343 · Built 1971 Airframe modelBellanca 17-30A Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

Narrative: while attempting to land on runway 30, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and struck a runway sign, destroying the sign and causing minor damage to the left wing of the aircraft. The wind at the time of the incident was variable from 330 degrees at 26 knots to 360 degrees at 18 knots. The pilot stated that upon touchdown the wind changed direction causing the aircraft to swerve to the left, and that he was unable to correct the left turn of the aircraft with full right rudder and right brake applied.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A RUNWAY SIGN, DESTROYING THE SIGN AND CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WIND AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS VARIABLE FROM 330 DEGREES AT 26 KNOTS TO 360 DEGREES AT 18 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN THE WIND CHANGED DIRECTION CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT, AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE LEFT TURN OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND RIGHT BRAKE APPLIED.