- Date
- September 2, 2001, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pierre, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4215YBellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Rapid City, SD-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010902023919A
- Case key
- 53448
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 not maintaining directional control of the airplane during landing.
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 airplane was damaged when it ground looped while landing. In his written statement, the pilot said that while performing a practice short field landing, a gust of wind, "...picked aircraft from runway - placing it about a 30 [degree] angle to [the] direction of travel - with addition of power and control inputs, I was not able to correct before returning to runway. Resultant ground loop damaged landing gear and wing...." The weather reporting station located at the accident airport recorded the wind at 1153 as variable direction at 4 knots. No gusts were listed on the 1153 report.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 2001, about 1215 central daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, N4215Y, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a ground loop during landing on runway 13 (6,891 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the Pierre Regional Airport, Pierre, South Dakota. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The local flight originated at 1115.
In his written statement, the pilot said that while performing a practice short field landing, a gust of wind, "...picked aircraft from runway - placing it about a 30 [degree] angle to [the] direction of travel - with addition of power and control inputs, I was not able to correct before returning to runway. Resultant ground loop damaged landing gear and wing...."
The weather reporting station located at the accident airport recorded the wind at 1153 as variable direction at 4 knots. No gusts were listed on the 1153 report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4215Y
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 968-77
- Airframe hours
- 1,219
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth L. McGirr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 17, 2000 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- PIR · Pierre, SD
- Airport
- PIR · Pierre Regional, runway 13, 6,891 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 18, 2000
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 425 total · 6 in this make and model · 363 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- PIR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.