20151222022169I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bellanca 17-30 · Dodge City, KS · December 22, 2015

Date
December 22, 2015 · 18:10 local
Place
Dodge City, KS
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4926V
Reported as
Bellanca 17-30
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport

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.

On 12/22/2015 at approximately 1810 hours during a VFR departure from runway 32 of ddc, the pilot of the Bellanca viking began a climbing right turn toward kcvn. After gear retraction (and at about 1500 ft. AGL) the pilot encountered a rough running engine and smoke in the cockpit. Believing the aircraft had suffered an electrical problem; the pilot turned the master switch off and made a right turn back to ddc. Coming over the airport at about 1000 ft. the pilot began a left downwind to base turn to runway 14. He then switched the master power back on and dropped the gear (he witnessed 3 green indicators). At this point the pilot noticed the oil pressure gage was reading zero oil pressure. Seeing no more smoke, the pilot left the master power switch on and switched on the landing lights. While closing the distance to runway 14, the engine seized at about 200-300 ft AGL and still about 1/2 mile to the runway. Realizing he would not make it to the runway, the pilot pitched the aircraft for the best glide airspeed and attempted to line up the aircraft with the rows of cut milo in the farm field below. After touchdown the aircraft rolled on its landing gear for 90 feet when the right main gear dropped into a deep hole in the field causing the aircraft to spin 90 degrees to the right and skid/slide which resulted in the right main gear collapsing outwards. The aircraft continued to skid/slide sideways for another 81 feet. From touchdown to final resting point the aircraft traveled 177 feet on the ground. The nose gear also collapsed as a result of the skid/slide. Aircraft sustained minor damage, airman was uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

ON 12/22/2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1810 HOURS DURING A VFR DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 32 OF DDC, THE PILOT OF THE BELLANCA VIKING BEGAN A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TOWARD KCVN. AFTER GEAR RETRACTION (AND AT ABOUT 1500 FT. AGL) THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. BELIEVING THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFERED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM; THE PILOT TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF AND MADE A RIGHT TURN BACK TO DDC. COMING OVER THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 1000 FT. THE PILOT BEGAN A LEFT DOWNWIND TO BASE TURN TO RUNWAY 14. HE THEN SWITCHED THE MASTER POWER BACK ON AND DROPPED THE GEAR (HE WITNESSED 3 GREEN INDICATORS). AT THIS POINT THE PILOT NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE WAS READING ZERO OIL PRESSURE. SEEING NO MORE SMOKE, THE PILOT LEFT THE MASTER POWER SWITCH ON AND SWITCHED ON THE LANDING LIGHTS. WHILE CLOSING THE DISTANCE TO RUNWAY 14, THE ENGINE SEIZED AT ABOUT 200-300 FT AGL AND STILL ABOUT 1/2 MILE TO THE RUNWAY. REALIZING HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE BEST GLIDE AIRSPEED AND ATTEMPTED TO LINE UP THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE ROWS OF CUT MILO IN THE FARM FIELD BELOW. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON ITS LANDING GEAR FOR 90 FEET WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DROPPED INTO A DEEP HOLE IN THE FIELD CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND SKID/SLIDE WHICH RESULTED IN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSING OUTWARDS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID/SLIDE SIDEWAYS FOR ANOTHER 81 FEET. FROM TOUCHDOWN TO FINAL RESTING POINT THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 177 FEET ON THE GROUND. THE NOSE GEAR ALSO COLLAPSED AS A RESULT OF THE SKID/SLIDE. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, AIRMAN WAS UNINJURED.