19991003028949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 7GCBC · Anchorage, AK · October 3, 1999

Date
October 3, 1999 · 15:10 local
Place
Anchorage, AK
Airport
Lake Hood Strip Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4156Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC00LA001
Reported as
Bbavia 7GCBC
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total400 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On October 3, 1999, about 1510 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N4156Y, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from the lake Hood airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, and the one passenger aboard, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During an on-scene interview with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic) on October 3, the pilot reported that he was departing on runway 31. He reported that as the airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the runway, and while approaching the departure end of the runway, all engine power was lost. He said that he made an emergency landing in a tundra-covered marsh, just off the end of the departure runway. During the landing roll, the airplane's main wheels contacted the soft, boggy terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, right lift-strut, and empennage. The airplane owner recovered the airplane from the accident site, and returned it to his parking tie-down area. On October 4, the iic removed the engine carburetor, and found about 10CC of rusty-colored fluid, along with clean fuel in the airplane's carburetor float bowl. The rusty-colored fluid tested positive for water, when tested with water detection paste. (-23) at approximately 100 feet in the air on take off from lake Hood strip the engine quit and the pilot made an emergency landing in the swamp at the end of runway 31 lake Hood gravel strip. On touch down in the swamp aircraft flipped over on it's back and was substantially damaged. (.4) the certificated private pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing from the lake Hood airstrip. As the airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the runway, all engine power was lost. The airplane landed in an area of tundra-covered marsh, just off the end of the departure runway. During the landing roll, the airplane's main wheels contacted the soft, boggy terrain, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident inspection of the airplane's carburetor revealed about 10CC of rusty-colored fluid, along with clean fuel in the airplane's carburetor float bowl. The rusty-colored fluid tested positive for water, when tested with water detection paste. The fluid sample was released to the accident pilot at his request. The accident pilot reported that the fluid contained therapeutic levels of fluoride, commonly found in tap water. The pilot did not submit the test results report to the NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON OCTOBER 3, 1999, ABOUT 1510 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED BELLANCA 7GCBC AIRPLANE, N4156Y, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE LAKE HOOD AIRSTRIP, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. DURING AN ON-SCENE INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) ON OCTOBER 3, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 31. HE REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, AND WHILE APPROACHING THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. HE SAID THAT HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A TUNDRA-COVERED MARSH, JUST OFF THE END OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN WHEELS CONTACTED THE SOFT, BOGGY TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, RIGHT LIFT-STRUT, AND EMPENNAGE. THE AIRPLANE OWNER RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND RETURNED IT TO HIS PARKING TIE-DOWN AREA. ON OCTOBER 4, THE IIC REMOVED THE ENGINE CARBURETOR, AND FOUND ABOUT 10CC OF RUSTY-COLORED FLUID, ALONG WITH CLEAN FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE'S CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL. THE RUSTY-COLORED FLUID TESTED POSITIVE FOR WATER, WHEN TESTED WITH WATER DETECTION PASTE. (-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET IN THE AIR ON TAKE OFF FROM LAKE HOOD STRIP THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE SWAMP AT THE END OF RUNWAY 31 LAKE HOOD GRAVEL STRIP. ON TOUCH DOWN IN THE SWAMP AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, WITH ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, WAS DEPARTING FROM THE LAKE HOOD AIRSTRIP. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN AN AREA OF TUNDRA-COVERED MARSH, JUST OFF THE END OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN WHEELS CONTACTED THE SOFT, BOGGY TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. A POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE'S CARBURETOR REVEALED ABOUT 10CC OF RUSTY-COLORED FLUID, ALONG WITH CLEAN FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE'S CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL. THE RUSTY-COLORED FLUID TESTED POSITIVE FOR WATER, WHEN TESTED WITH WATER DETECTION PASTE. THE FLUID SAMPLE WAS RELEASED TO THE ACCIDENT PILOT AT HIS REQUEST. THE ACCIDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLUID CONTAINED THERAPEUTIC LEVELS OF FLUORIDE, COMMONLY FOUND IN TAP WATER. THE PILOT DID NOT SUBMIT THE TEST RESULTS REPORT TO THE NTSB.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.