# Accident 19990607006599A: Blanca 14133, Taft, CA, June 7, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 7, 1999, 10:15 local time
- Place: Taft, CA
- Airport: Taft-Kern County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1590° N, 119.4301° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1590&lon=-119.4301&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74476, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N74476-2000-04-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 14-13-3 (registry code 1201006, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-14-13-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BLANCA 14133
- Reported engine: FRNKLN 6A4150B3
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 1,000 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA210) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990607006599A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AFTER TAKE-OFF AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN.(-23) AFTER EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE, ON INITIAL TEST FLIGHT, A BELLANCA, 14-13-3 CRUISAIR, N74476, AIRCRAFT MADE AN UN-COMMANDED ROLL TO THE LEFT, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET. THE PILOT COULD NOT STOP THE ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL UNTIL THE LEFT WING TIP MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED, THE PROPELLER MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, AND DISINTEGRATED. THE ENGINE TORE LOOSE FROM THE AIRFRAME, THE RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND AND LOST IT'S RIGHT LANDING GEAR AS IT SLID BACKWARDS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT WING AND TWISTED LEFT GEAR, APPROXIMATELY 300 FT. FROM THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT, MADE BY THE LEFT WING TIP. (.4)THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF MAJOR REPAIR AND RESTORATION BY THE PILOT, WITH THE SUPERVISION OF AN AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT SINCE THE REPAIRS.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT REFERENCE A MANUAL WHEN MAKING ANY OF THE REPAIRS.  THE PILOT DID A BRIEF PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, WHICH ONLY INCLUDED CHECKING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FOR M                                                                       OVEMENT, NOT TO VERIFY THEIR CORRECT MOVEMENT. AFTER DEPARTURE, ABOUT 30 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT, THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT CONTROL INPUTS, BUT THE LEFT BANK ANGLE INCREASED.  THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELD ONCE, COMING TO A REST 50 FEET FORMT HE RUNWAY.  A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE AILERON CONTROL CABLES TO BE CROSSED AND REVERSED.  WHEN INTERVIEWED BY THE FAA INSECPTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN EXAMINED BT THE MECHANIC, BUT FOLLOWING THE INSPECTION, THE PILOT HAD MADE FURTHER REPAIRS TO THE CONTROL SYSTEM WITHOUT MECHANIC'S KNOWLEDGE.

## 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 LAX99LA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA210), Jun 7, 1999: Bellanca BL-14-13 (N74476), Taft, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's inability to maintain control of the aircraft due to the aileron control cables being crossed and reversed. The pilot's lack of a thorough pre-flight inspection and the pilot not…

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.

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