IAD00LA016

NTSB accident investigation · Bellanca 7ECA · Waynesburg, PA · January 9, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
January 9, 2000, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
Place
Waynesburg, PA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N2735ZBellanca 7ECA
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 8, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000109007619A
Case key
48534

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll-out.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Weather condition - crosswind
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll

Analysis

During landing roll-out on the asphalt runway, the pilot reported encountering winds which moved the aircraft to the right. When the airplane's right wheel was close to the grass bordering the runway, the pilot put in full throttle and momentarily lifted off. There was not enough room to take-off and the airplane's right wing hit the hill paralleling the runway. The airplane turned 180 degrees around and came to a stop. The left main landing gear collapsed under the airplane, and the outboard section of the left wing was bent up 30 degrees. The winds were reported to be from190 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot reported 117 total flight hours with 10 total hours in make and model. He also reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.

Factual narrative

On January 9, 2000, about 1345 Eastern Standard Time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N2735Z, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at the Greene County Airport (WAY), Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated at Connellsville, Pennsylvania (2G3), around 1300, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR 91. Weather was visual meteorological conditions.

In a written statement, the pilot said:

"Landing on Runway 27 at WAY. After touchdown, started getting winds from left about 190 degrees. Trying to correct for it, I was moving to the right and after right wheel was close to grass I put in full throttle and lifted back off. There was not enough airspeed for climb out. Right wing touched hill on right, spun aircraft around and came to a stop."

A witness saw the airplane while it was landing. In a written statement, the witness said:

"The plane was landing - coming down the runway, then it went off the runway into the grass and started back up when the wing hit and flipped it around."

The winds reported at Morgantown, West Virginia, 18.5 nautical miles southeast of WAY, were 190 degrees at 5 knots.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector conducted an on-site examination. According to the Inspector's written report, he said:

"The aircraft was 150 yards north of Runway 27 on a heading of 060 degrees, and was substantially damaged. Damage included the propeller, left wing, rudder, sheared the left main landing gear, and the fuselage was damaged at the left wing spar attach point. The impact compressed the rear spar attach point and caused the cabin door on the right side to no longer latch. The amount of fuel on board was better than 50 percent. A review of the maintenance records and control continuity check were both satisfactory."

The pilot received his private pilot certificate on June 30, 1999. He reported 118 total flight hours with 11 total hours in make and model. He also reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N2735Z
Reported as
Bellanca 7ECA
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1232-78
Engine
Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Eagle-1 Aviation, doing business as 14 Cfr Part 91
Registered owner
John Strope
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Aerobatic
Last inspection
100 hour · August 10, 1999
Departed
2G3 · Connellsville, PA
Destination
WAY
Airport
WAY · Greene County Airport, runway 27, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt

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
46
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
118 total · 11 in this make and model · 54 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
190° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
2,800 ft broken
Temperature
43 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
MGW, 18 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.