- Date
- October 21, 2002, 18:10 local (Oct 22, 2002, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Collins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41807Bellanca 7KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20021021030399A
- Case key
- 55953
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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, and his failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall.
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
According to the pilot, he was doing touch-and-go landings on runway 15. On this approach, he made a 3-point landing and bounced. He settled the airplane back down for a second 3-point landing, but there was a "lack of directional ground control and some drift to the right of centerline." He added full power for a go-around, but the controls felt "mushy," and there was a "lack of aileron control." The airplane drifted to the right, struck the runway with its right wingtip, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both the left and right wing spars, empennage, forward fuselage, both main landing gear attachment points, rudder and left horizontal stabilizer. The winds were, 070 degrees at 07 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 21, 2002, at approximately 1810 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, N41807, registered to Swain Aviation LLC, and operated by The Flying School, both of Fort Collins, Colorado, was destroyed when it nosed over following an attempted go-around during a touch-and-go landing at Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL), Fort Collins, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this local flight being conducted under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1730.
According to the pilot, he was doing touch-and-go landings on runway 15. On this approach, he made a 3-point landing and bounced. He settled the airplane back down for a second 3-point landing, but there was a "lack of directional ground control and some drift to the right of centerline." He added full power for a go-around, but the controls felt "mushy," and there was a "lack of aileron control." The airplane drifted to the right, struck the runway with its right wingtip, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both the left and right wing spars, empennage, forward fuselage, both main landing gear attachment points, rudder and left horizontal stabilizer.
The reported weather conditions at 1815 was wind, 070 degrees at 07 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 11 degrees C.; dew point, 03 degrees C.; altimeter setting, 30.00.
According to these conditions, a landing on runway 15, would result in an 80 degree left-hand crosswind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41807
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 403-73
- Airframe hours
- 2,135
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Swain Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2002 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- FNL · Fort Collins, CO
- Destination
- FNL · Fort Collins, CO
- Airport
- FNL · Ft Collins/Loveland Municipal, runway 15, 8,500 × 100 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
- 36
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 442 total · 5 in this make and model · 387 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N41807 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.