# NTSB CHI01LA122: Bellanca 7ECA, N53950, Kimball, NE, April 21, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 21, 2001, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Kimball, NE - Coordinates: 41.230293, -103.650642 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2303&lon=-103.6506&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report September 19, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 52129 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI01LA122 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52129/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA122 ## Probable cause The pilot not maintaining clearance from the terrain. A factor was that the pilot misjudged the low altitude flight maneuver. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - low altitude flight/maneuver - misjudged, pilot in command (contributing factor) - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain while maneuvering. The pilot sustained minor injury and passenger sustained serious injury. The flight's purpose was to track weather balloons. The pilot stated, "On the third pass over one of these roads, I did a similar climbing turn then descending turn as I had done (and have done hundreds of times before) however, I did not carry enough power in the climbing turn. On the descending turn portion, our descent rate was high enough that out leveling off point ended up below the ground. At impact we were in an almost 3 pt attitude with full power, but again not in the attitude long enough to arrest descent." ## Factual narrative On April 21, 2001, about 1230 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N53950, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain while maneuvering near Kimball, Nebraska. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot sustained minor injury and passenger sustained serious injury. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed from Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport, near Loveland, Colorado, about 1030. The flight's purpose was to track weather balloons. The pilot stated, "We ... performed two landing type passes over the county roads to locate the balloons relative to the roads. (reading road signs) On the third pass over one of these roads, I did a similar climbing turn then descending turn as I had done (and have done hundreds of times before) however, I did not carry enough power in the climbing turn. On the descending turn portion, our descent rate was high enough that out leveling off point ended up below the ground. At impact we were in an almost 3 pt attitude with full power, but again not in the attitude long enough to arrest descent. We basically had a hard enough landing to push the forward gear up, and cause a resultant belly slide down the road." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N53950](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N53950-2003-10-14), registration cancelled 2003-10-14, S/N 1148-76, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bellanca 7ECA - Registry model: [Bellanca 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7eca) (registry code 1220460) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1148-76 - Airframe hours: 2500 - Engines: Lycoming O-235-C1 115 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Gregory Stuart Mungas - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 25, 2001, 28 hours before - Departed: FNL, FORT COLLINS/LO, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, expired; last flight review July 8, 1998; seat: front; flight hours: 851 total, 426 in this make and model, 815 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,600 ft overcast - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: BFF, 40 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 20010421011859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010421011859A), Apr 21, 2001: Kimball, NE, No damage. (-23) On April 21, 2001, at or about 1300 MDT, Bellanca citabria 7ECA, N53950, sustained substantial damage when the airraft struck Kimball county road 54, 10… ## Other investigations on N53950 (1) 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. - [NTSB ANC81FAA10](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC81FAA10), Mar 26, 1981: Bellanca 7ECA (N53950), North Pole, AK, substantial damage 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.