- Date
- January 31, 1999, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alliance, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9668SChampion 7GCAA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990131000979A
- Case key
- 45688
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 unsuitable terrain for landing selected by the pilot-in-command. Factors were the tailwind landing condition and excessive braking by the pilot-in-command.
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 flew over a friend's house and decided to land in a field adjacent to the house. The pilot stated that upon landing, on the plowed farm field, he, '... proceeded to get on the brakes and there was just no grabbing between the tires and the dirt field.' The pilot stated that he applied more brakes, and, '... all of the sudden, the tail came up and the airplane nosed over and flipped onto its back.' In a telephone interview with the pilot, the pilot stated that the landing was made to the north. Post accident investigation showed that there was substantial damage to three wing ribs, two wing struts, and the vertical stabilizer. A functional test of the brake system was conducted and no abnormalities were found. No other abnormalities were found with the accident airplane. Weather reports for the area reported winds from 150 degrees at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
On January 31, 1999, at 1630 mountain standard time, a Champion 7GCAA, N9668S, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during landing roll near Alliance, NE. The personal flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Alliance Municipal Airport, at time 1615, for a local flight.
According to the pilot's written statement, the pilot flew over a friend's house and decided to land in a field adjacent to the house. The pilot stated that upon landing, on the plowed farm field, he, "... proceeded to get on the brakes and there was just no grabbing between the tires and the dirt field." The pilot stated that he applied more brakes, and, "... all of the sudden, the tail came up and the airplane nosed over and flipped onto its back." In a telephone interview with the pilot, the pilot stated that the landing was made to the north.
Post accident investigation showed that there was substantial damage to three wing ribs, two wing struts, and the vertical stabilizer. A functional test of the brake system was conducted and no abnormalities were found. No other abnormalities were found with the accident airplane. Weather reports for the area reported winds from 150 degrees at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9668S
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 85
- Airframe hours
- 1,391
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Heartland Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 4, 1998 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- AIA · NE
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
- 20
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 536 total · 7 in this make and model · 54 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AIA, 5 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.