What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5/1/2024 at approximately 1140 EDT, a Bellanca model 7ECA operating under 14 CFR part 91, experienced loss of control upon landing at Watervliet municipal airport (40C) located in Michigan. The loss of control resulted in substantial aircraft damage. The pilot was the only person on the aircraft and reported no injuries.
On 5/1/2024 the pilot was operating under visual meteorological conditions for recreational purposes and “grass field takeoff and landing practice.” the pilot stated he departed from plymouth municipal airport (C65) with a stop at Michigan city municipal airport (mgc) enroute to 40C. The pilot stated he had never previously landed at 40C. The pilot stated he used the flight planning app wingx and a stratus ADS-B to check for weather and airport information. The FAA airport facility directory notes in “airport remarks” runway 02-20 is soft when wet during spring due to poor drainage. The pilot stated, “there had been little or no rain in the previous week.” total precipitation for the previous week showed an approximate rain total of 1.755 inches in the Watervliet, MI area. The pilot stated there were no other NOTAMS for the airport and he “looked for signs of excessive water standing in fields or terrain enroute.” the aircraft landed on runway 20 to the south approximately 480 ft. from the start of the runway. The marks on the ground indicated the tail wheel touched first followed by the main landing gear. The aircraft traveled approximately 200 ft. from initial touchdown to the stopping point. The pilot stated, “upon touchdown and rollout the aircraft decelerated rapidly, and the tail began to rise. I applied full aft elevator, but the aircraft continued over on its nose and back.” the aircraft was moved and secured at a local residence adjacent to the approximate area where the airplane came to a stop. During the initial investigation on 5/1/2024 at approximately 1500 EDT, the airfield was noticeably soft.
The aircraft damage is as follows:
The tail surface and structural frame was damaged and bent. The upper portion of the rudder was crushed. The right-wing structural support was bent. The engine cowl and propeller were damaged. Internal damage to the engine due to the propeller strike and sudden stoppage.
As the FAA filed it
ON 5/1/2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1140 EDT, A BELLANCA MODEL 7ECA OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CONTROL UPON LANDING AT WATERVLIET MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (40C) LOCATED IN MICHIGAN. THE LOSS OF CONTROL RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED NO INJURIES.
ON 5/1/2024 THE PILOT WAS OPERATING UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES AND “GRASS FIELD TAKEOFF AND LANDING PRACTICE.” THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED FROM PLYMOUTH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (C65) WITH A STOP AT MICHIGAN CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MGC) ENROUTE TO 40C. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD NEVER PREVIOUSLY LANDED AT 40C. THE PILOT STATED HE USED THE FLIGHT PLANNING APP WINGX AND A STRATUS ADS-B TO CHECK FOR WEATHER AND AIRPORT INFORMATION. THE FAA AIRPORT FACILITY DIRECTORY NOTES IN “AIRPORT REMARKS” RUNWAY 02-20 IS SOFT WHEN WET DURING SPRING DUE TO POOR DRAINAGE. THE PILOT STATED, “THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE OR NO RAIN IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK.” TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE PREVIOUS WEEK SHOWED AN APPROXIMATE RAIN TOTAL OF 1.755 INCHES IN THE WATERVLIET, MI AREA. THE PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO OTHER NOTAMS FOR THE AIRPORT AND HE “LOOKED FOR SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WATER STANDING IN FIELDS OR TERRAIN ENROUTE.” THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 20 TO THE SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 480 FT. FROM THE START OF THE RUNWAY. THE MARKS ON THE GROUND INDICATED THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 200 FT. FROM INITIAL TOUCHDOWN TO THE STOPPING POINT. THE PILOT STATED, “UPON TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED RAPIDLY, AND THE TAIL BEGAN TO RISE. I APPLIED FULL AFT ELEVATOR, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED OVER ON ITS NOSE AND BACK.” THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED AND SECURED AT A LOCAL RESIDENCE ADJACENT TO THE APPROXIMATE AREA WHERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. DURING THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION ON 5/1/2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 EDT, THE AIRFIELD WAS NOTICEABLY SOFT.
THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE IS AS FOLLOWS:
THE TAIL SURFACE AND STRUCTURAL FRAME WAS DAMAGED AND BENT. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE RUDDER WAS CRUSHED. THE RIGHT-WING STRUCTURAL SUPPORT WAS BENT. THE ENGINE COWL AND PROPELLER WERE DAMAGED. INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE DUE TO THE PROPELLER STRIKE AND SUDDEN STOPPAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.