ANC14CA010

NTSB accident investigation · Bellanca 7GCBC · Soldotna, AK · December 4, 2013

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
December 4, 2013, 12:25 local (16:25 UTC)
Place
Soldotna, AK
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N88342Bellanca 7GCBC
Defining event
Enroute-cruise: Structural icing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 1, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
FAA Anchorage FSDO
FAA report
20131204024599A
Case key
88518

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 operation of the airplane by the uncertificated student pilot, his failure to recognize conditions conducive to structural icing, and subsequent decision to depart in conditions conducive to structural icing, resulting in a severe icing encounter and forced landing.

Findings · 5

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.

Experience/qualifications: qualification/certificationPersonnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Student/instructed pilotBellanca 7GCBC: 2 casesAll aircraft: 280 casesProbable cause
Info processing/decision: identification/recognitionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilotBellanca 7GCBC: 2 casesAll aircraft: 559 casesProbable cause
Info processing/decision: decision making/judgmentPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilotBellanca 7GCBC: 12 casesAll aircraft: 3,098 casesProbable cause
Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to structural icingEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomeBellanca 7GCBC: 1 caseAll aircraft: 103 cases
Object/animal/substance: tower/antenna (incl guy wires)Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeBellanca 7GCBC: 1 caseAll aircraft: 55 cases

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 uncertificated student pilot stated that he had been watching the weather for three days waiting for suitable flying conditions. He checked the automated weather at a nearby airport, and decided that conditions were suitable for flying. He and a passenger then took off on a cross-country flight. During the climb to cruise altitude, the uncertificated student pilot began to notice specks of ice on the windscreen. A short time later, ice suddenly began to accumulate rapidly on the airplane, obscuring the windscreen. He could see an airstrip ahead and to the left of the airplane, and started a rapid descent to set up for a landing. As he approached the airstrip, he said that he was still too fast and too high to attempt a landing, so he initiated a go-around. During the second landing attempt, he said that the airplane felt very heavy and sluggish, and as he began to slowly decrease the throttle on the landing approach, the airplane began to lose altitude very fast. He attempted a second go-around, but the engine backfired and lost power. He landed the airplane just past the end of the airstrip on a dirt road, but the right wing struck a power line guy wire, and the airplane spun to the right, striking a road sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

The uncertificated student pilot stated that he had been watching the weather for three days waiting for suitable flying conditions. He checked the automated weather at a nearby airport, and decided that conditions were suitable for flying. He and a passenger then took off on a cross-country flight. During the climb to cruise altitude, the uncertificated student pilot began to notice specks of ice on the windscreen. A short time later, ice suddenly began to accumulate rapidly on the airplane, obscuring the windscreen. He could see an airstrip ahead and to the left of the airplane, and started a rapid descent to set up for a landing. As he approached the airstrip, he said that he was still too fast and too high to attempt a landing, so he initiated a go-around. During the second landing attempt, he said that the airplane felt very heavy and sluggish, and as he began to slowly decrease the throttle on the landing approach, the airplane began to lose altitude very fast. He attempted a second go-around, but the engine backfired and lost power. He landed the airplane just past the end of the airstrip on a dirt road, but the right wing struck a power line guy wire, and the airplane spun to the right, striking a road sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N88342
Reported as
Bellanca 7GCBC (NO SERIES)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
768-74
Built
1974
Airframe hours
1,848
Engine
Lycoming O-320-A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 23, 2013 · 8 hours before
Departed
Sterling, AK
Destination
PGM · Port Graham, AK
Airport
88AK · Dutch Landing Strip, runway 25, 1,300 × 100 ft, snow
Equipment
Handheld GPS

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
Student pilot
Age
49
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Unknown
Last flight review
August 7, 2012
Seat
Front
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
280 total · 265 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
90° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
9,000 ft overcast
Temperature
21 °F, dew point 19 °F
Altimeter
30.47 inHg
Icing
Unknown
Observed at
PASX, 6 nm away

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 804 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.