# Accident 19980612020459A: Bbavia 8GCBC, Pensacola, FL, June 12, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 12, 1998, 16:00 local time - Place: Pensacola, FL - Airport: Costal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.5000° N, 87.3692° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5000&lon=-87.3692&mi=10 - Aircraft: N53954, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N53954) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bellanca 8GCBC (registry code 1220803, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8gcbc) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BBAVIA 8GCBC - Reported engine: LYC O360C2E - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,433 total, 117 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA087) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980612020459A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. BRAKES MALFUNCTION ON LANDING. CAUSED A NOSED OVER ON THE RUNWAY. (.4) AFTER RELEASING THE GLIDER THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDSOCK SHOWED A SLIGHT RIGHT CROSSWIND, AND THAT HE WAS HIGH ON THE APPROACH, SO HE INITIATED A RIGHT WING SIDE SLIP. AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM THE SIDE SLIP, TO A FULL STALL THREE POINT LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY NOSED OVER AND CAME TO A STOP INVERTED ON THE RUNWAY. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH THE MECHANIC PERFORMING THE POST-ACCIDENT REPAIRS ON THE AIRPLANE, STATED THAT THERE WERE NO APPARENT PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED, ON THE AIRPORT, SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT, WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRPLANE'S PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS POSSIBLY PULLED IN FLIGHT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE IS PULLED IN FLIGHT, AND ONCE THE PILOT STARTED THE LANDING ROLL BRAKING ACTION, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BRAKES WILL LOCK. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON JUNE 12, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HRS CST (2100 GMT), A BELLANC A MODEL SCOUT, N53954, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 GLIDER TOWING FLIGHT EXPERIENCED A LANDING ACCIDENT WHERE THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER AFTER TOUCHDOWN AT THE COASTAL AIRPORT, NEAR PENSACOLA, FL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WINDS WERE NOT EXCEEDING TEN KNOTS. THE PILOT HAD MADE HIS TOWING FLIGHT AND WAS RETURNING TO LAND AT HIS HOME AIRPORT. HE WAS INTENDING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 18. AFTER A SEEMINGLY NORMAL APPROACH AND FLARE, HE TOUCHED DOWN AND FELT AS IF THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. HE THEN FELT THE PLANE'S NOSE COME DOWN AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK. THE ENGINE WAS TURNING AT IDLE SPEED ON TOUCHDOWN AND THE PROP WAS BENT DUE TO RUNWAY CONTACT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE PLANE, SUFFERING NO INJURIES DURING THE ACCIDENT OR THE EVACUATION. ALTHOUGH POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL AN OBVIOUS BRAKE MALFUNCTION, IT APPEARS THEY HAD FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. AIRMAN COMPENTENCY WAS NOT A FACTOR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL98LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA087), Jun 12, 1998: Bellanca 8GCBC (N53954), Pensacola, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent activation of the parking brakes which resulted in the nose over during the landing roll. ## Other reports on N53954 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20050425006909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050425006909A), Apr 25, 2005: Bbavia 8GCBC (N53954), Pensacola, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) Based on the findings at the scene of the accident. It appears the pilot [privacy data omitted] lost directional control of the aircraft landing when he… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.