- Date
- February 20, 1993, 11:52 local (19:52 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5506CBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930220002979A
- Case key
- 27930
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 pilots inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition and his resultant loss of directional control.
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
In a verbal statement to FAA inspectors, the pilot reported that during a touch and go he lost directional control of the aircraft, veered off the runway and nosed over after encountering a soft muddy area. Review of the ATCT tapes revealed that the aircraft was given a takeoff clearance from runway 12, and, while in the traffic pattern on the first circuit, the runway was changed by the ATCT to 30. Prior to landing, the ATCT transmitted two wind advisories to the pilot, indicating winds from 230 degrees at 15 knots. The controllers on duty in the tower cab reported that the aircraft touched down about mid field, then veered off the left side of the runway into a grassy area. The controllers stated that the aircraft then veered to the right, crossed over the runway and nosed over in a marshy area on the right side of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5506C
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1267-78
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West Valley Flying Club
- Registered owner
- John R. Schulte
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- PAO
- Destination
- PAO
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto Of Santa Clara, 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAO, 1 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.