19980925026709A

(.19)On September 25, 1998, at 1430 central daylight time, a Bellanca 17-30A airplane, N727DC, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing near Alpine, Texas. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight that originated from ozona, Texas at approximately 1315. The pilot reported that he entered the traffic pattern for a full stop landing on runway 20 at the Terlingua Ranch Airport (1E2), near Alpine, Texas. Following a normal touchdown, the pilot added that as the nose wheel tire contacted the ground, the airplane started the pull to the left to the point that he could not control the airplane with opposite brake, rudder or nose wheel steering. The 3,000 hour pilot added that the airplane departed the left side of the 80 foot wide runway and impacted mesquite trees and rocks on the east side of the runway. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 200 degrees at 10 knots. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the right wing sustained structural damage and the right main and nose landing gear collapsed. A preliminary examination of the nose gear steering system revealed that the steering collar rod was found fractured. Total time on the airframe approximately 2,100 hours. (-23) this commercial pilot refused to offer an explanation to the investigating inspector. Evidence strongly indicates the pilot drifted into the mesquite trees on the left side of the runway in a left wing down attitude dueto poor jjdgement or a crosswind. After clipping the trees with the left the aircraft yawed left until the right gear hit. The aircraft left the runway to the left and struck a mesquite tree with the right wing tearing it in half and spinning the aircraft around to it's stopping place.