- Date
- September 29, 2014, 16:00 local (Sep 30, 2014, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2976MBellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140929018519A
- Case key
- 90298
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 pilots failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborted landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 3
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 landing at a remote, off airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that he made two low passes over the airstrip and was making a full stop landing on the third pass. During the landing he stated the airplane bounced, and he attempted to abort the landing. During the aborted landing a gust of wind picked up the left wing and the right wing contacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing at a remote, off airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that he made two low passes over the airstrip and was making a full stop landing on the third pass. During the landing he stated the airplane bounced, and he attempted to abort the landing. During the aborted landing a gust of wind picked up the left wing and the right wing contacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2976M
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 347-80
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 1,999.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 17, 2013 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- AK51 · Port Alsworth, AK
- Destination
- Port Alsworth, AK
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,110.5 total · 241.1 in this make and model · 1,063.4 as pilot in command · 321 in the last 90 days · 77.5 in the last 30 days · 6.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 956 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.