# Accident 19980925026709A: Blanca 1731ATC, Alpine, TX, September 25, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 25, 1998 - Place: Alpine, TX - Airport: Terlingua Ranch Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.3603° N, 103.6595° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3603&lon=-103.6595&mi=10 - Aircraft: N727DC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N727DC-2001-05-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BLANCA 1731ATC - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA418](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA418) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980925026709A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## 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 FTW98LA418](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA418), Sep 25, 1998: Bellanca 17-30A (N727DC), Alpine, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane for undetermined reasons. A factor was the loose gravel composition of the runway. ## Other reports on N727DC (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19840426022049I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840426022049I), Apr 26, 1984: Blanca 1730A (N727DC), Tulsa, OK, Minor damage. Made hard one wheel crosswind landing. Aircraft swerved violently off the runway. M or d not explained. 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.