What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-19)On February 16, 2001, about 1530 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N36266, sustained substantial damage during landing on a frozen river, about 15 miles south of fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane is registered to the student pilot. The commercial certificated pilot/flight instructor, and the student pilot, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the fairbanks international airport, fairbanks, about 1400. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic) on February 20, 2001, the flight instructor reported the accident flight was the first flight with the student. The flight departed fairbanks with the instructor seated in the front seat. He flew to an area along the tanana river where he had previously conducted numerous takeoff and landings. The flight instructor demonstrated a variety of aerial manuevers, and then landed on the frozen river. The river was covered with about two feet of snow,the instructor performed two additonal takeoff and landings and stopped. He placed the student pilot in the front seat and got in the back seat. The instructor had the student taxi the airplane and then perform serveral takeoff and landings. The flight instructor then took over the flight controls and landed at a different area of frozen river, establishing a new set of ski landing tracks in the snow. The student pilot then performed two additional takeoff and landings. On the third landing approach to the new location, the airplane was established on a normal glide path. About 3 to 4 feet above the ground, the student suddenly pushed forward on the control stick and applied almost full rudder. The instructor was unable to prevent the airplane from colliding with the snow in a nose down attitude. The airplane nosed over and received damage to the wings, wing spars, lift struts, and vertical stabilizer. (-23) at 1530 a ski equipped citabria 7GCGC N36266 crashed while landing off airport on a snow covered frozen lake 15 miles south of fairbanks international. The owner a student pilot bill barney was flying his new rebuilt be llanca observed by CFI don carlson. This was the aircraft's first flight and owner barney's first flight this season. CFI carlson said he had instructed student barney to use less control inputs and that Mr. Barney was learning satisfactorily; during the third landing, carlson felt the stick being ushed too FAR forward and attempted to reduce the forward control without success, the aircraft nosed up and over causing substantial damage, no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(-19)ON FEBRUARY 16, 2001, ABOUT 1530 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A SKI EQUIPPED BELLANCA 7GCBC AIRPLANE, N36266, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING ON A FROZEN RIVER, ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE IS REGISTERED TO THE STUDENT PILOT. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND THE STUDENT PILOT, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FAIRBANKS, ABOUT 1400. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) ON FEBRUARY 20, 2001, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT WITH THE STUDENT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FAIRBANKS WITH THE INSTRUCTOR SEATED IN THE FRONT SEAT. HE FLEW TO AN AREA ALONG THE TANANA RIVER WHERE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED NUMEROUS TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATED A VARIETY OF AERIAL MANUEVERS, AND THEN LANDED ON THE FROZEN RIVER. THE RIVER WAS COVERED WITH ABOUT TWO FEET OF SNOW,THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED TWO ADDITONAL TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS AND STOPPED. HE PLACED THE STUDENT PILOT IN THE FRONT SEAT AND GOT IN THE BACK SEAT. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD THE STUDENT TAXI THE AIRPLANE AND THEN PERFORM SERVERAL TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND LANDED AT A DIFFERENT AREA OF FROZEN RIVER, ESTABLISHING A NEW SET OF SKI LANDING TRACKS IN THE SNOW. THE STUDENT PILOT THEN PERFORMED TWO ADDITIONAL TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS. ON THE THIRD LANDING APPROACH TO THE NEW LOCATION, THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTABLISHED ON A NORMAL GLIDE PATH. ABOUT 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE STUDENT SUDDENLY PUSHED FORWARD ON THE CONTROL STICK AND APPLIED ALMOST FULL RUDDER. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM COLLIDING WITH THE SNOW IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, WING SPARS, LIFT STRUTS, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. (-23) AT 1530 A SKI EQUIPPED CITABRIA 7GCGC N36266 CRASHED WHILE LANDING OFF AIRPORT ON A SNOW COVERED FROZEN LAKE 15 MILES SOUTH OF FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL. THE OWNER A STUDENT PILOT BILL BARNEY WAS FLYING HIS NEW REBUILT BE LLANCA OBSERVED BY CFI DON CARLSON. THIS WAS THE AIRCRAFT'S FIRST FLIGHT AND OWNER BARNEY'S FIRST FLIGHT THIS SEASON. CFI CARLSON SAID HE HAD INSTRUCTED STUDENT BARNEY TO USE LESS CONTROL INPUTS AND THAT MR. BARNEY WAS LEARNING SATISFACTORILY; DURING THE THIRD LANDING, CARLSON FELT THE STICK BEING USHED TOO FAR FORWARD AND ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE THE FORWARD CONTROL WITHOUT SUCCESS, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED UP AND OVER CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.