- Date
- May 16, 2012, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N86917Bellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120516008019A
- Case key
- 83670
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 inadvertent application of the wheel brakes immediately after landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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
According to the pilot, he landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a private grass strip and the airplane bounced. When the airplane settled back onto the grass, the pilot inadvertently applied the wheel brakes. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he landed the tailwheel equipped airplane on a private grass strip and the airplane bounced. When the airplane settled back onto the grass, the pilot inadvertently applied the wheel brakes. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86917
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-74
- Airframe hours
- 1,613
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Costal Airsign LLC
- Registered owner
- Costal Airsign LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2012
- Departed
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Destination
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 27, 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
- 19
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 24, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 298 total · 29 in this make and model · 237 as pilot in command · 118 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- JKA
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.1 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.
Other investigations on N86917 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.