- Date
- August 5, 1988, 08:37 local (15:37 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8662VBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880805031049A
- Case key
- 26074
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
All of the pilot's prior flight training was done in tailwheel type aircraft. The pilot had made four full stop landings during the pattern practice instructional session and he said that he experienced directional control problems during each of the landings. No problems were encountered during the takeoffs or taxi operations. On the fifth landing, the pilot said that he lost directional control just after lowering the tail to the ground and the 'wind picked up the left wing.' The pilot applied power to initiate a go around and the directional control problem became worse. After liftoff the aircraft drifted left and collided with several structures on the airport before finally hitting a large tree on an adjacent golf course. The management of the flying club stated that the student's instructor was on probation for consistent problems in turning out weak students.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8662V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1091-75
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- West Valley Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Johnson, Burt L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAO
- Destination
- PAO
- Airport
- PAO · Santa Clara County, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 31 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.