- Date
- July 15, 1996, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belle Plaine, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5026KBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960715028649A
- Case key
- 10312
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's misjudgment of the distance and speed during the landing, and his delay in initiating a go-around. Factors relating to the accident were: the tall grass and ravine at the end of 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 pilot reported that he was on downwind for landing on runway 35, when he noticed a two to three story house 'just off the end of the runway.' He shortened his downwind leg which 'caused a fairly high initial final approach.... This required a slip to the runway. Since excessive airspeed was built up, the aircraft continued to float.' He decided to go-around and applied full power; however, the landing gear impacted tall grass at the departure end of the runway, then a ravine.
Factual narrative
On July 15, 1996, about 1200 central daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N5026K, sustained substantial damage when it impacted vegetation during an attempted go around in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. The pilot reported minor injury and the sole passenger sustained serious injury. The personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight departed the St. Paul Flemming Airport about 1130. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was on file.
In his written statement, the pilot reported that he was on downwind to runway 35, when he noticed a two to three story house "just off the end of the runway." He shortened his downwind leg which "caused a fairly high initial final approach.... This required a slip to the runway. Since excessive airspeed was built up, the aircraft continued to float." He decided to execute a go around and applied full power. The landing gear impacted tall grass at the departure end of the runway, then a ravine. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5026K
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1278-78
- Airframe hours
- 808
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas F. Tischida
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 22, 1995 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- D97 · St Paul, MN
- Destination
- 7Y7
- Airport
- 7Y7 · Belle Plaine, runway 35, 2,530 × 215 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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 577 total · 127 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.