- Date
- May 26, 2021, 17:30 local (May 27, 2021, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Birchwood, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N659HCBellanca 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210526010079A
- Case key
- 103158
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 use of excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a short gravel surfaced runway he "braked to hard," and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, left lift strut and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident may have been prevented if he had realized his limitations and experience level and selected a more suitable runway or applied less brakes after touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N659HC
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1140-79
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 2,450
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Knik Flying Club LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 2020
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- A13 · Bold, runway 14, 1,000 × 15 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 19, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 12 in this make and model · 37 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- PABV, 15 nm away
- METAR
- PABV 270156Z AUTO 25006KT 10SM CLR 21/05 A2976 RMK AO2 SLP083 T02110050
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB 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.