# NTSB BFO93LA097: Bellanca 8GCBC, N2510Z, Reedsville, PA, May 26, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 26, 1993, 11:40 local (15:40 UTC) - Place: Reedsville, PA - Coordinates: 40.679412, -77.629722 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6794&lon=-77.6297&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 17, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 8775 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=BFO93LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8775/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO93LA097 ## Probable cause TAILWHEEL LANDING GEAR SYSTEM COMPONENTS FAILING DUE TO THEIR WORN CONDITION RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF GROUND STEERING CAPABILITY. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS A GUSTING CROSSWIND ENCOUNTERED DURING LANDING ROLL. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - landing gear,tailwheel assembly - worn (cause) - landing gear,steering system - disabled (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - directional control - not possible, pilot in command - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - berm ## Analysis THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DURING LANDING ROLLOUT AND ENTERED A DITCH. A GUSTING CROSSWIND EXISTED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A LEFT TURN WHEN THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED THE LANDING SURFACE. HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND RIGHT BRAKE, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE LEFT. THE TAIL WHEEL STEERING ASSEMBLY WAS EXAMINED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE. COMPONENTS INSIDE THE ASSEMBLY WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND TO BE WORN. ## Factual narrative On May 26, 1993, at 1140 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 8GCBC airplane, N2510Z, was substantially damaged during landing at the Mifflin County Airport, Reedsville, Pennsylvania. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight departed Julian, Pennsylvania, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot landed on the parallel taxiway to runway 6. The taxiway was being used as an auxiliary runway because a glider show was occupying runway 6. During landing rollout, the airplane "veered to the left into a ditch." The right main gear was sheered off and the right wing impacted the ground, bending the spar. The inspector also reported that a "stiff crosswind" prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the pilot. "I established a base leg for the taxiway parallel to runway 06 and touched down on this taxiway about 100 feet from the beginning of the hard surface. I touched down on the main gear tail low and at the time the tail wheel touched the hard surface the aircraft began to turn left. I used right rudder to correct this turn to the left but to no avail. As the aircraft was continuing to turn left past the center of the hard surface, I applied right brake which did not stop the continuing turn to the left. The aircraft went down a quite steep embankment to the left of the taxiway that formed a ditch where the right main gear was broken off the aircraft and the propeller contacted the ground . . . ." At 1146 hours, the reported wind conditions at State College, Pennsylvania, were 300 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 14 knots. State College is located about 17 statute miles from the accident site. According to the FAA inspector, the steering control on the tail wheel assembly was found to be inoperative during the examination of the wreckage at the accident site. The assembly was removed from the airplane, disassembled and inspected. According to the FAA; "The arm assembly (P/N 3214) was worn and the spring (P/N 3222) was bent aft and had not been tempered." According to the FAA, the passenger of the airplane, Mr. Joseph M. Bennis, refused to give a statement to the FAA concerning the accident. In violation of 49 CFR 831, Mr. Bennis also began to disassemble the airplane immediately following the accident, while ignoring requests to cease by FAA inspectors. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2510Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2510Z), registered now, S/N 256-77, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELLANCA 8GCBC - Registry model: [Bellanca 8GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8gcbc) (registry code 1220803) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 256-77 - Airframe hours: 4474 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-C2E 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Knauff & Grove, Inc. - Registered owner: Knauff & Grove, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 1992, 100 hours before - Departed: 79N, JULIAN, PA - Destination: RVL - Airport: RVL, Mifflin County, runway 6, 5,001 × 40 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 12,168 total, 814 in this make and model, 11,461 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 23 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 11 knots, gusting 14 - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: UNV, 17 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930526015219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930526015219A), May 26, 1993: Bbavia 8GCBC, Reedsville, PA, Substantial damage. No steering control on crosswind landing. Weathervaned. Ran off runway into ditch. Tail wheel assembly worn. Bent. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.