# Incident 20180111000639I: Bellanca 7KCAB, Englewood, CO, January 11, 2018 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 11, 2018, 12:48 local time - Place: Englewood, CO - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.6470° N, 104.9945° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Englewood, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6470&lon=-104.9945&mi=10 - Aircraft: N53959, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N53959) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bellanca 7KCAB (registry code 1220701, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7kcab) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 series (registry code 41522, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELLANCA 7KCAB - Reported engine: LYCOMING AEIO-360 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 6,800 total, 51 in this make and model, 76 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180111000639I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 11 JANUARY 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:50 P.M. A CITABRIA N53959 SERIAL NUMBER# 599-77 STRUCK A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT AT CENTENNIAL AIRPORT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT THAT DAY WAS TAIL-WHEEL TRANSITION TRAINING. PREFLIGHT AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. N53959 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 17L AND BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROLL, THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICED THE STUDENT WAS APPLYING LIGHT BRAKE PRESSURE AS HE WAS MOVING THE RUDDERS, AND THE INSTRUCTOR REMINDED STUDENT TO USE ONLY THE RUDDERS. AT APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH, THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED STUDENT TO RAISE THE TAILWHEEL. THE STUDENT THEN MOVED THE STICK SLIGHTLY FORWARD ONLY, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED HIM AGAIN. AS THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED HIM THE THIRD TIME, THE INSTRUCTOR BEGAN TO PUSH THE STICK FORWARD, BUT IT DID NOT MOVE AS THE STUDENT STILL HAD CONTROL OF THE STICK AT THAT POINT WHICH WAS ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN NEUTRAL AND FULL AFT. ABOUT THIS TIME, N53959 BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED OUT, ?MY FLIGHT CONTROLS? AND TRIED TO MOVE THE PLANE BACK TO CENTERLINE, BUT COULD NOT MOVE THE STICK FORWARD OR LATERALLY. AFTER A COUPLE SECONDS, THE STUDENT RELINQUISHED CONTROL AND THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED LEFT AILERON AND RUDDER. THE INSTRUCTOR GOT THE PLANE ON THE LEFT WHEEL, AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE LEFT BACK TO CENTERLINE, AND ATTEMPTED TO GET AIRBORNE. AS THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF, THEY HEARD THE AFT END OF THE PLANE STRIKE SOMETHING. THEY CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF, AND TOLD TOWER THAT THEY HAD PROBABLY STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. THEY CONTINUED STRAIGHT OUT AND ASKED THE TOWER FOR THE WINDS, THEY THEN LANDED ON RUNWAY 28. THE INSTRUCTOR LANDED ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND TOUCHED THE TAILWHEEL LIGHTLY TO THE GROUND AND BACK UP. IT ROLLED NORMALLY AND THEY TURNED OFF ON TAXIWAY C2 AND TAXIED TO THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. THE LEFT REAR BOTTOM OF THE PLANE AND TAIL WHEEL CONTACTED ONE OF THE RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTS CAUSING DAMAGE IN THREE PLACES TO THE FABRIC AND A CROSS MEMBER TUBE WAS BENT. THE RUNWAY LIGHT WAS SNAPPED AT THE FRANGIBLE COUPLING. PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. ## Other reports on N53959 (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20230225003509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230225003509I), Feb 25, 2023: Bellanca 7KCAB (N53959), Apopka, FL, Minor damage. On February 25, 2023 at approximately 17:30 local time [privacy data omitted] a 1977 americian champion 7KCAB sn 599-77 attempted to exit rwy 15 to taxiway a,… - [Incident 20170916011849I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170916011849I), Sep 16, 2017: Bellanca 7KCAB (N53959), Centennial, CO, Minor damage. At appx 1630 on 09/16/2017, pilot in command of N53959, giving dual instruction to atp-rated pilot for tailwheel endorsement, lost control of the aircraft… - [Incident 20140117000209I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140117000209I), Jan 17, 2014: Bellanca 7KCAB (N53959), Centennial, CO, Minor damage. On January 17, 2014 at approximately 1225 hrs MST, N53959, an American champion aircraft sustained minor damage while landing at Centennial airport, CO. One… - [Incident 19911012056869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911012056869I), Oct 12, 1991: Bbavia 7KCAB (N53959), Spokane, WA. Pilot stated he had radio problems. Landed without receiving a clearance. 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.