# Accident 20031227035429A: Bbavia 7ECA, Oxnard, CA, December 27, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 27, 2003, 09:42 local time
- Place: Oxnard, CA
- Airport: Oxnard Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Touch And Go Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2000° N, 119.2000° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2000&lon=-119.2000&mi=10
- Aircraft: N53879, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N53879-2009-03-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 7ECA (registry code 1220460, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7eca) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 7ECA
- Reported engine: LYC O235C1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 342 total, 68 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA079) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031227035429A

## Narrative

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

(-23) DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST DURING THE LANDING PHASE OF A TOUCH-AND-GO ON RUNWAY 7 AT OXNARD AIRPORT (OXR). FAILURE OF A COTTER KEY BETWEEN THE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL AND THE RIGHT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY ALLOWED THE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL TO BECOME INEFFECTIVE. THE HEAD OR TANGS OF THE COTTER KEY STRIKE AN ANGLE BRACKET ON THE FIRE WALL WHEN THE RUDDER PEDAL IS FULLY DEPRESSED, DEPENDING UPON WHICH WAY THE CLEVIS PIN HAS ROTATED. THE STRIKING ACTION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE COTTER KEY HEAD AND THE SHEARING OF THE TANGS. THE COTTER KEY SEPARATED INTO THREE PIECES. TWO OF THE COTTER KEY PIECES WERE LOCATED; THE HEAD AND ONE OF THE TANGS. THE CLEVIS PIN WAS ALSO FOUND. AFTER THE COTTER KEY FELL OUT OF THE CLEVIS PIN, THE CLEVIS PIN SEPARATED FROM THE RUDDER PEDAL AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY. THE RUDDER PEDAL FELL FORWARD, ALLOWING THE TOP OF THE RUDDER PEDAL TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE FIREWALL WHICH PREVENTED FULL TRAVEL OF THE RUDDER PEDAL WHEN DEPRESSED, THEREBY RESULTING IN LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LOWER STABILIZER DRAG WIRE ASSEMBLY, RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL FAIRING, AND A SCRAPE TO THE RIGHT WING LIFT STRUT RESULTED.

## 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 LAX04LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA079), Dec 27, 2003: Bellanca 7ECA (N53879), Oxnard, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the failure of the pin that secured the right rudder pedal to the brake cylinder arm due to improper installation of the pin. Also causal was the manufacturer's confusing maintenance instructions…

## Other reports on N53879 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20040822021841A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040822021841A), Aug 22, 2004: Bbavia 7ECA (N53879), Malibu, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) On August 22, 2004, about 1729 pacific daylight time, a Bellanca citabria 7ECA, N53879, collided in midair with a pollard & huntley thorp T-18, N7818T,…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
