- Date
- July 12, 1992, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bally, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N57472Bellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920712024819A
- Case key
- 11817
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 failed to maintain directional control during takeoff.
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 was taking off on runway 34 when the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and struck a 20 foot tree before falling to the ground. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll the airplane veered to the right, he unsuccessfully tried to compensate by applying left rudder and some left brake. The airplane then struck a dirt mound, and became airborne briefly in a nose high low speed attitude before it struck the tree. Examination of the airplane by the FAA did not disclose evidence of mechanical nor flight control malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57472
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 512-73
- Airframe hours
- 4,795
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kutztown Aviation
- Registered owner
- Kutztown Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 30, 1992 · 27 hours before
- Destination
- N31 · Kutztown, PA
- Airport
- 7N8 · Butter Valley, runway 34, 2,420 × 85 ft, grass/turf
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 132 total · 33 in this make and model · 60 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.