- Date
- December 29, 2003, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Wellington, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N14763Bellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20031229033329A
- Case key
- 58555
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 during the landing roll. Factors were the dry grass and the concrete box he encountered during his excursion off the runway.
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 destroyed during landing roll when it impacted a concrete electrical box following an excursion off of runway 17. The pilot stated, "I (as pilot) made an input of right aileron down which [exacerbated the] skid, including [the] right wing tip scraping the runway. Aircraft departed runway. Aircraft returned to three wheels down within 40 feet of runway edge. Aircraft was uncontrollable on dry, dead grass." The concrete electrical box was located approximately 75 feet left of the runway. The Airport/Facility Directory contained published remarks that warned personnel and equipment would be working adjacent to that runway.
Factual narrative
On December 29, 2003, about 1140 central standard time, a Bellanca 17-30A, N14763, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during landing roll when it impacted a concrete electrical box following an excursion off of runway 17 (3,538 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at the Wellington Municipal Airport (EGT), near Wellington, Kansas. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A Visual Flight Rules flight plan was filed and was not activated. The pilot sustained minor injury. The flight originated from Shawnee Regional Airport, near Shawnee, Oklahoma, about 1040 and was landing at EGT at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated:
Preflight, engine start, taxi and take off proceeded all normal.
Immediately follow[ing] TO, flight following was instituted
via OKC [A]pproach. Flight went without incident with
flight following via OKC Approach, Kansas City Center[,]
and Wichita Approach. Decent was uneventful. Decent and
preparation for landing were without significant factors. I was in
a slight left crab due to winds indicated as [300] at 6-8 knts. Upon
flair aircraft was aligned with runway and at touch down speed.
Aircraft landed. [S]oon after touch down of nose wheel (within
100' or so) aircraft took a hard left turn into a two wheel skid. Skid
marks indicate that [n]ose wheel was within four feet of center line
at beginning of skid. I (as pilot) made an input of right aileron
down which [exacerbated the] skid, including [the] right wing tip
scraping the runway. Aircraft departed runway. Aircraft returned
to three wheels down within 40 feet of runway edge. Aircraft was
uncontrollable on dry, dead grass. Aircraft impacted a 4'X4' concrete
box, placed [approximately] 75 feet left of runway. Box is part of in
ground lighting system for new runway being built west of present
runway. Box was in front of soft dirt mound of excavated dirt
[approximately] 8' high. Aircraft impacted box just right of corner at
[approximately] a 45 degree angle to side of box. Prop departed
aircraft. Engine was broken from all four engine mounting points
and moved right 8". Aircraft moved to the right [approximately] 2'-3'.
Box impacted left wing 12" left of fuselage attach point. Aircraft was
destroyed.
At 1154, the Strother Field Airport, near Winfield/Arkansas City, Kansas, recorded weather was: Wind 280 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 6 degrees C; dew point -6 degrees C; altimeter 30.12 inches of mercury.
At 1156, the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, near Wichita, Kansas, recorded weather was: Wind 290 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 5 degrees C; dew point -6 degrees C; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.
The North Central United States Airport/Facility Directory contained published remarks that warned personnel and equipment would be working adjacent to that runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14763
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 74-30705
- Airframe hours
- 2,706.5
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joel R. Clay
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 2003 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- SNL · Shawnee, OK
- Destination
- EGT · Wellington, KS
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- EGT · Wellington Muni, runway 17, 3,538 × 50 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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 25 in this make and model · 249 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- WLD, 19 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.