- Date
- February 26, 1995, 13:58 local (21:58 UTC)
- Place
- San Jose, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53893Bellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950226002629A
- Case key
- 29045
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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the conventional gear aircraft during an aborted landing attempt. Factors in the accident were the student's high and fast approach and his failure to achieve the proper touchdown point.
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
The student said he was high and fast on the approach and touched down about 2/3 of the way down the runway. The student realized there was insufficient runway to stop the aircraft and added power to abort the landing. The aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and nosed over after encountering a muddy area on the airport. According to the student's flight instructor, he was endorsed for solo flights in the Bellanca 7ECA, on January 19, 1995, and had accumulated about 8 hours of solo flight time.
Factual narrative
On February 26, 1995, at 1358 Pacific standard time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N53893, veered off the runway and nosed over after encountering soft soil at the Reid-Hillview Airport, San Jose, California. The aircraft was operated by Amelia Reid Aviation of San Jose, California, and was rented by the student pilot for a local area solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from the Reid-Hillview Airport on the day of the accident at 1325 hours.
In a verbal statement, the student said he was high and fast on the approach and touched down about 2/3 of the way down the runway. The student realized there was insufficient runway to stop the aircraft and added power to abort the landing. The aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and nosed over after encountering a muddy area on the airport.
According to the student's flight instructor, he was endorsed for solo flights in the Bellanca 7ECA, on January 19, 1995, and had accumulated about 8 hours of solo flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53893
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1140-76
- Airframe hours
- 10,752
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-JC1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Amelia C. Reid
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 13, 1994 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- RHV
- Airport
- RHV · Reid-Hillview, runway 31L, 3,100 × 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 77 total · 34 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RHV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N53893 · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.