# NTSB FTW94LA132: Bellanca 7GCAA, N86862, Azle, TX, April 23, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 23, 1994, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC) - Place: Azle, TX - Coordinates: 32.88935, -97.530281 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8894&lon=-97.5303&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report November 14, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19039 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW94LA132 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19039/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW94LA132 ## Probable cause THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN AND OBSTACLE CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE INSTRUCTOR'S DIVERTED ATTENTION. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, climb - object - tree(s) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - diverted attention, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD GIVEN THE RATED PILOT BEING CHECKED OUT IN THE AIRPLANE A SERIES OF SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURES. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS AND BANKED THE AIRCRAFT HARD TO THE RIGHT, THEN ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT, CROSSING A FENCE LINE AT THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. THE RATE OF DESCENT WENT FROM 500 FEET PER MINUTE 'TO SOME VERY LARGE NEGATIVE NUMBER.' FULL POWER WAS APPLIED UPON TERMINATION OF THE FORCED LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE LEFT TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT WHEN HE FELT A DOWNDRAFT AND NOTICED A TREE STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE RIGHT FUEL CELL RUPTURED UPON IMPACT WITH THE TREE AND A POST IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRPLANE. ## Factual narrative On April 23, 1994, at 0830 central daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCAA, N86862, was destroyed during a simulated forced landing near Azle, Texas. The certificated flight instructor sustained minor injuries while his pilot rated student was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the instructional flight. According to the instructor pilot, the airplane departed from Hicks Field near Fort Worth, Texas, for an aircraft checkout flight in the local area. After the upper air work portion of the checkout flight was completed, the instructor gave the student a series of simulated power losses. The instructor pilot stated that after power was added to terminate the simulated forced landing, he looked to his left to locate the airport. During the descent "a terrific downdraft hit us and I looked forward just in time to see the airplane hit the tree." The instructor pilot added that the impact ruptured the right fuel cell and a post impact fire consumed the airplane. The student pilot reported that during the simulated forced landing the instructor pilot took the controls and said, "no, you do it like this," and banked the aircraft hard to the right, then back to the left toward the clearing. He further reported, as he rolled the aircraft to the left, they crossed a fence line at the end of the clearing at approximately 200 feet. The rate of descent went from 500 feet per minute "to some very large negative number. Full power was applied, the wings rolled level and the sound of the engine RPM seemed to be increasing normally, but we continued to sink into the tree tops at the edge of the clearing until we crashed." A review of the airframe and engine records by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, did not reveal any anomalies or uncorrected maintenance defects prior to the flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N86862](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N86862-1998-09-09), registration cancelled 1998-09-09, S/N 31075 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELLANCA 7GCAA - Registry model: [Bellanca 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7gcaa) (registry code 1220501) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 310-75 - Airframe hours: 1452 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-A2B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hodge, Anthony W. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, December 1, 1993, 20 hours before - Departed: T67, FORT WORTH, TX ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 65; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; flight hours: 4,500 total, 60 in this make and model, 4,500 as pilot in command, 28 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 110° at 8 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: FTW, 11 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 19940423009179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940423009179A), Apr 23, 1994: Bbavia 7GCAA, Azle, TX, Destroyed. CFI took over on simulated forced landing. Banked sharply developed high sink rate. Became too low struck trees. ## Other investigations on N86862 (1) 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. - [NTSB LAX78FUD03](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX78FUD03), Dec 30, 1977: Bellanca 7KCAB (N86862), Santa Monica, CA, substantial damage 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.