# Accident 19990521021709A: Bbavia 8KCAB, Lufkin, TX, May 21, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 21, 1999, 14:00 local time - Place: Lufkin, TX - Airport: Angelina County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 31.2340° N, 94.7500° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ANGELINA COUNTY (LFK), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.2340&lon=-94.7500&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5500C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5500C) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bellanca 8KCAB (registry code 1220801, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8kcab) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BBAVIA 8KCAB - Reported engine: LYC AEIO320E2B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,578 total, 9 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA145) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990521021709A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MAY 21, 1999, AT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 8KCAB, TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N5500C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTION CONTROL WHILE LANDING NEAR LUFKIN, TEXAS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY NACOGDOCHES TRAILDRAGGERS, INC., OF NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE A.L. MANGHAM, JR. REGIONAL AIRPORT (OCH), NEAR NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1300. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE FLIGHT ARRIVED AT THE ANGELINA COUNTY AIRPORT (LFK), LOCATED NEAR LUFKIN, TEXAS, TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT FOLLOWING A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING ON RUNWAY 15, THE BOLT ATTACHING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO THE FUSELANGE FAILED, RESULTING IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE 4,550 FOOT RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE 1978 MODEL AIRCRAFT REVELED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACHING POINT. ADDITIONALLY, ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS DAMAGED. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PURCHASED FROM AN INDIVIDUAL IN LOUISIANA ON DECEMBER 1998, AND THE AIRFRAME HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 661.0 HOURS. THE SURFACE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURENCE WERE REPORTED FROM 200 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. (.4) THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME FOLLOWING A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING ON RUNWAY 15. THE SEPARATION RESULTED FROM FAILURE OF THE 'U-BOLT' ATTACHING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE 4,550 FOOT RUNWAY. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 708 HOURS. THE FAILED LANDING GEAR U-BOLT, PART NUMBER 1-9805, WAS SHIPPED TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORIES IN WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR METALLURGICAL EVALUATION. THE METALLURGICAL EVALUATION REVEALED THAT THE BOLT FAILED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE. (-23)WEATHER WAS VMC FOR THIS 91 CFR INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. ON LANDING, THE LEFT GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED 1 FULL TURN AND CAME TO REST UNRIGHT, SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN U-BOLT AT THE ATTACT POINT FOR THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AT THE FUSELAGE. (U-BOLT SENT TO NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON DC FOR ANALYSIS). ## 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 FTW99LA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA145), May 21, 1999: Bellanca 8KCAB (N5500C), Lufkin, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of control due to the separation of the left main landing gear as a result of the fatigue failure of the U-bolt which attaches the landing gear to the airframe. ## Other reports on N5500C (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19830812040901A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830812040901A), Aug 12, 1983: Bbavia 8KCAB (N5500C), Kennesaw, GA, Substantial damage. Struck 69113 on taxiway while taxiing for takeoff. 69113 taxiing in opposite direction from landing, had stopped. 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.