- Date
- April 28, 2019, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5046EBellanca 7GCAA
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190428011449A
- Case key
- 99335
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 receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in an attempted go-around and collision with a trench, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing.
Findings · 4
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, who was receiving tailwheel instruction, reported that, following a three-point landing, he raised the tail to initiate a go-around, but the wind shifted from a left quartering headwind to a left quartering tailwind. The airplane veered left. and the pilot added right rudder and aileron to correct. The airplane continued to veer left and then exited the runway onto tall grass and rough terrain. The instructor took the flight controls and aborted the go-around, and the left wing and elevator impacted the far side of a trench. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 240° at 3 knots and that, about 35 minutes after the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 15.
Factual narrative
Following a 3-point landing, the pilot receiving tailwheel instruction raised the tail to initiate a go around, but the wind shifted from a left quartering headwind to a left quartering tailwind. The airplane veered left and the pilot added right rudder and aileron to correct. The airplane continued to veer left, exited the runway, and came upon "tall grass and very rough terrain." The instructor took the flight controls, aborted the go around, and the left wing and elevator impacted the far side of the "trench." The airplane sustained substantial damaged to the left wing and elevator. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 240° at 3 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 35 minutes after the accident, the wind was calm. The flight instructor landed the airplane on runway 15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5046E
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 380-79
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 5,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mach 5 Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Fox Two Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 12, 2018
- Departed
- KAUN · Auburn, CA
- Destination
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- Airport
- LHM · Lincoln Rgnl/Karl Harder Field, runway 15, 6,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 12 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Military, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 32 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KLHM
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 15, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.