20020309007299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bbavia 7GCBC · Pacioma, CA · March 9, 2002

Date: March 9, 2002 · 16:36 local
Place: Pacioma, CA
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5032V
Reported as: Bbavia 7GCBC
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,420 total1 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N5032VRegistered now · Bellanca 7GCBCS/N 1069-79 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBellanca 7GCBC Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) N5032V departed whiteman (whp) airport for a flight to torrance (toa) airport. Shortly after takeoff the cockpit skylight roof window fell off the aircraft. The pilot elected to declare an emergency and return to whiteman airport where it was taxied to vista aviation. Airworthiness inspectors were notified they might want to look at the aircraft. According to don schneider, who works at vista, the window was replaced but the aircraft was not returned to service. There were some holes in the fabric that they taped over to make the aircraft suitable only for a ferry flight. A ferry permit was obtained and the aircraft flown back to torrance airport.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N5032V DEPARTED WHITEMAN (WHP) AIRPORT FOR A FLIGHT TO TORRANCE (TOA) AIRPORT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE COCKPIT SKYLIGHT ROOF WINDOW FELL OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND RETURN TO WHITEMAN AIRPORT WHERE IT WAS TAXIED TO VISTA AVIATION. AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS WERE NOTIFIED THEY MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO DON SCHNEIDER, WHO WORKS AT VISTA, THE WINDOW WAS REPLACED BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE WERE SOME HOLES IN THE FABRIC THAT THEY TAPED OVER TO MAKE THE AIRCRAFT SUITABLE ONLY FOR A FERRY FLIGHT. A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED AND THE AIRCRAFT FLOWN BACK TO TORRANCE AIRPORT.