- Date
- April 11, 2017, 16:00 local (Apr 12, 2017, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5045EBellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170411005199A
- Case key
- 94997
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 airplane's left main ski's collision with a submerged frozen sand berm.
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 of the ski-equipped tailwheel airplane reported that, during the landing roll on a snow-covered sand bar, about 15 to 20 mph, the left ski impacted a submerged frozen sand berm. He added that the left ski "broke" and that the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a ski-equipped tailwheel airplane reported that during the landing roll on a snow-covered sand bar, about 15-20 miles per hour, the left ski impacted a submerged frozen sand berm. He added that the left ski "broke" and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5045E
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 308-79
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 2,005
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2016
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Willow, AK
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Observed at
- NONE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.