- Date
- August 1, 2002, 16:00 local (Aug 2, 2002, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53828Bellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Fairbanks FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20020801017109A
- Case key
- 55362
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which precipitated an aborted landing, and subsequent collision with trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on a remote gravel airstrip, he was unable to maintain directional control, and decided to abort the landing. Shortly after applying full power and becoming airborne, he made a left turn to avoid a cabin, and the main landing gear encountered willows, pulling the airplane further to the left. The pilot said he elected to crash the airplane between two trees instead of attempting to turn away or climb over them. He subsequently reduced power and hit the trees. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 1, 2002, about 1600 Alaska daylight time, a tundra-tire equipped Bellanca 8GCBC airplane, N53828, sustained substantial damage during an aborted landing when it collided with terrain at a remote gravel airstrip 45 miles north-northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, about 1430.
In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported that the airplane had just touched down on the Beaver Creek airstrip when the nose of the airplane went to the right, and then pulled hard to the left. He elected to abort the landing, and soon after becoming airborne, made a left turn to avoid a cabin at the end of the airstrip. During the left turn the airplane's landing gear collided with willows, which pulled the airplane further to the left. The airplane then bounced in a gravel stream bed, but kept flying. The pilot said he elected to aim between two trees and make a controlled crash at low speed instead of attempting to turn away from the trees or attempt to climb over them. He subsequently reduced power and collided with the trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53828
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-75
- Airframe hours
- 1,650
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E2E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph Seekins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 2002 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- PAFA · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- Beaver Creek
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,420 total · 80 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.36 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 45 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 751 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N53828 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.