20010902023279A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 7GCAA · Bridgeport, CA · September 2, 2001

Date
September 2, 2001 · 09:13 local
Place
Bridgeport, CA
Airport
Bryant Field Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5042D
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX01LA301
Reported as
Bbavia 7GCAA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
107 total17 in this make and model9 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.

(-23) While landing at Bryant field, Bridgeport, CA, the pilot lost control of the aircraft after the tail came up and started to porpoise. The aircraft departed off the side of runway 16 and sustained substantial damage. (.19) on September 2, 2001, at 0913 hours pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, N5042D, was substantially damaged during a landing ground loop at Bryant field, Bridgeport, California. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The personal flight was operated by sierra flyers, inc. under 14 CFR part 91, and departed from minden, Nevada, at an unknown time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told a mono county sheriff's deputy that the aircraft bounced twice during landing, then veered off the runway, skidded sideways, and ground looped. (.4) on September 2, 2001, at 0913 hours pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, N5042D, was substantially damaged during a landing ground loop at Bryant field, Bridgeport, California. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The personal flight was operated by sierra flyers, inc., under 14 CFR part 91, and departed from minden, Nevada, at 0820. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he landed the airplane on runway 16 (4,329 feet long x 60 feet wide). The tail of the aircraft bounced violently and the airplane veered to the left. He applied right rudder and some power; however, the airplane drifted off the east edge of the runway and ground looped when the right main landing gear entered dense brush. The right landing gear was torn off and the right-hand wing contacted the ground during the ensuing ground loop. In his report to the safety board, in the section "mechanical malfunction failure," the pilot checked "no." he also reported the wind was calm.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE LANDING AT BRYANT FIELD, BRIDGEPORT, CA, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE TAIL CAME UP AND STARTED TO PORPOISE. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OFF THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 16 AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2001, AT 0913 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 7GCAA, N5042D, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A LANDING GROUND LOOP AT BRYANT FIELD, BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY SIERRA FLYERS, INC. UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND DEPARTED FROM MINDEN, NEVADA, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD A MONO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY THAT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TWICE DURING LANDING, THEN VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, SKIDDED SIDEWAYS, AND GROUND LOOPED. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2001, AT 0913 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 7GCAA, N5042D, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A LANDING GROUND LOOP AT BRYANT FIELD, BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY SIERRA FLYERS, INC., UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND DEPARTED FROM MINDEN, NEVADA, AT 0820. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON RUNWAY 16 (4,329 FEET LONG X 60 FEET WIDE). THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED VIOLENTLY AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT. HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND SOME POWER; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED OFF THE EAST EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND GROUND LOOPED WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED DENSE BRUSH. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OFF AND THE RIGHT-HAND WING CONTACTED THE GROUND DURING THE ENSUING GROUND LOOP. IN HIS REPORT TO THE SAFETY BOARD, IN THE SECTION "MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FAILURE," THE PILOT CHECKED "NO." HE ALSO REPORTED THE WIND WAS CALM.

NTSB investigation

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