# NTSB FTW03LA206: Bellanca 7KCAB, N8730V, McKinney, TX, August 23, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 23, 2003, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: McKinney, TX - Coordinates: 33.208332, -96.741943 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2083&lon=-96.7419&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 57798 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW03LA206 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57798/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA206 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during landing. A contributing factor was flaring too high. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - high, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command(cfi) ## Analysis The flight instructor stated that he was demonstrating a forward slip to a landing when he "flared too high," and the airplane "stalled and impacted the runway." Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, and slid 150 feet down the runway. ## Factual narrative On August 23, 2003, about 1200 central daylight time, a Bellanca 7KCAB single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane, N8730V, registered to Four Winds Aviation, Inc., of Killeen, Texas, and operated by the pilot was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway following a loss of control while landing at Aero Country Airport (T31) near McKinney, Texas. The flight instructor and the commerical pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional local flight, which departed T31 approximately 1130. The 5,057-hour certified flight instructor (CFI), who was providing dual instruction to a commercial pilot for tailwheel endorsement, reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that he was demonstrating a forward slip to a landing when he "flared too high," and the airplane "stalled and impacted the runway." According to information received from the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the left main landing gear buckled on impact, and the airplane slid on its nose 150 feet down the runway. The inspector also reported that the aileron control attach bracket was broken from the bellcrank at the lower center fuselage, the propeller struck the runway, and the horizontal seat straps were broken on the rear seat. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported clear skies, and the wind as light and variable. With a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius, field elevation of 792 feet, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 inches of Mercury, the investigator-in-charge (IIC) calculated the density altitude to be 3,468 feet. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8730V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8730V), registered now, S/N 526-75, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bellanca 7KCAB - Registry model: [Bellanca 7KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7kcab) (registry code 1220701) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (registry code 41509, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 526-75 - Airframe hours: 2808 - Engines: Lycoming AEIO-320-E2B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 2, 2003, 8 hours before - Departed: T31, McKinney, TX - Airport: T31, Aero Country, runway 17, 4,305 × 40 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 41; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 7, 2001; seat: rear; flight hours: 5,057 total, 85 in this make and model, 4,950 as pilot in command - Student pilot; age 45; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 12, 2003; seat: front; flight hours: 499 total, 9 in this make and model, 399 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: TKI, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030823021629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030823021629A), Aug 23, 2003: Bbavia 7KCAB, Port Isabel, TX, Minor damage. (-23) Instructor demonstrated for tailwheel endorsement and experienced hard landing. Impact while in left slip or shortly thereafter indicated by collapsed… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.