- Date
- November 18, 2011, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pine Mountain, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N39836Bellanca 17-30A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111118027989A
- Case key
- 82339
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 inadequate directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
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, during approach, as the airplane crossed the runway threshold, he reduced engine power, and the airplane experienced a severe sink. Upon touchdown, the airplane veered left, and the pilot applied the right rudder pedal; however, the airplane continued off the left side of the runway into a ditch and came to rest upright. During the accident sequence, the airplane's left main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and left wing. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach, as the airplane crossed the runway 9 threshold, he reduced engine power and the airplane experienced a severe sink. Upon touchdown the airplane veered left and the he applied right rudder pedal; however, the airplane continued off the left side of the runway into a ditch and came to rest upright. During the accident sequence, the airplane's left main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and left wing. The recorded wind at an airport located approximately 15 miles south of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 110 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 20 knots. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39836
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 73-30507
- Airframe hours
- 2,763
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-520, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Herman West
- Registered owner
- Ola Dunning
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 2010 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- FZG · Fitzgerald, GA
- Destination
- PIM · Pine Mountain, GA
- Airport
- PIM · Harris County Airport, runway 09, 5,002 × 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 720 total · 14 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG, 15 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 27, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.