- Date
- June 20, 2011, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Linwood, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N87020Bellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110620025059A
- Case key
- 80872
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 brake application during the landing roll which resulted in a nose over.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he landed his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough, turf runway. During the landing roll, he noticed a 5 gallon bucket midfield, off the left side of the runway and attempted to stop the airplane in a short distance. He applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tail-wheel equipped airplane reported that he landed on the rough turf runway without incident. During the after landing roll, he noticed a 5 gallon bucket midfield, off the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane in a short distance because he wanted to retrieved the bucket; however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that the airplane did not experience any mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87020
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52-74
- Airframe hours
- 6,350
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 3, 2011 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 0NJ6 · Linwood, NJ
- Destination
- 0NJ6 · Linwood, NJ
- Airport
- 0NJ6 · Dix Field, runway 09, 2,950 × 100 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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 853 total · 67 in this make and model · 686 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- ACY, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 530 KB in all.
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 N87020 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.