- Date
- July 18, 2011, 16:00 local (Jul 19, 2011, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kantishna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N5043NBellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Other: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- Case key
- 81176
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 inadequate decision to make contact with an unsuitable landing surface, resulting in a nose over.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was performing a low reconnaissance pass over an area to determine its suitability for landing. He decided to lightly drag the airplane's main landing gear wheels on the landing surface to check for roughness, but the wheels settled into soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing a low reconnaissance pass over an area to determine its suitability for landing. He decided to lightly drag the airplane's main landing gear wheels on the landing surface to check for roughness, but the wheels settled into soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5043N
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 302-79
- Airframe hours
- 17,556
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2011 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 5Z5 · Kantishna, AK
- Destination
- Kantishna, AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 15, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,457 total · 1,306 in this make and model · 2,406 as pilot in command · 209 in the last 90 days · 131 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 575 KB in all.