- Date
- September 2, 1995, 11:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31266Bellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950902027609A
- Case key
- 29207
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's failure to maintain directional control. The pilot's improper use of the brakes and the soft terrain were factors in this accident.
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 pilot made a three-point landing near the runway threshold. When the airplane touched down it began to turn to the right and the pilot applied the brakes. The airplane continued the right turn and ground looped when it entered the soft terrain next to the runway. According to the operator, the airplane did not experience any preexisting malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 1995, at 1120 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, N31266, ground looped following a three-point landing on runway 32 at Santa Rosa Airport, Santa Rosa, California. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, operated by United Flight, Watsonville Airport, Watsonville, California, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated Watsonville Airport at 1000 hours.
The pilot said in a telephone interview that the airplane touched down normally and then it began to turn right. The pilot had the control stick back and he applied the brakes to arrest the turn, but without success. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and ground looped when it entered the dirt.
The local controller said in a telephone interview that the accident occurred near the approach end of the runway. He also said that the surface winds were calm.
The operator submitted the required aircraft accident report. He indicated in the report that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31266
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 403-72
- Airframe hours
- 3,778
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- United Flight Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Norman & Carol Gray
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 20, 1995 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Destination
- STS
- Airport
- STS · Sonoma County Airport, runway 32, 5,115 × 150 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 121 total · 29 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.