- Date
- April 25, 2005, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pensacola, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53954Bellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050425006909A
- Case key
- 61360
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 misjudged his altitude and distance resulting in an overrun. Also causal was the pilot's failure to execute a go-around.
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
According to the NTSB "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report" form, the aircraft was fast on landing which resulted in a long landing. The pilot applied excessive braking as the end of the runway was approaching causing the aircraft to nose over. A pilot-rated witness on the airport reported the aircraft appeared to make a "...high, overshooting turn to final." The airplane was then observed to be making "S" turns, followed by an "... aggressive side-slip maneuver to lose excess altitude." The aircraft leveled out and "floated" past my position which was located at the midfield point. The airplane touchdown, bounced, and traveled another 200 to 300 feet before touching down again in a two point landing. The aircraft rolled approximately 100 feet before the tail began to rise, and the propeller contacted the ground.
Factual narrative
On April 25, 2005, about 1145 central daylight time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered to and operated by Coastal Soaring Association, Inc., nosed over during the landing roll at Coastal Airport, Pensacola, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 glider-tow flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1130, from Coastal Airport.
According to the NTSB "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report" form, the aircraft was fast on landing which resulted in a long landing. The pilot applied excessive braking as the end of the runway was approaching causing the aircraft to nose over.
A pilot-rated witness on the airport reported the aircraft appeared to make a "...high, overshooting turn to final." The airplane was then observed making "S" turns, followed by an "... aggressive side-slip maneuver to lose excess altitude." The aircraft leveled out and "floated" past my position which was located at the midfield point. The airplane touchdown, bounced, and traveled another 200 to 300 feet before touching down again in a two-point landing. The aircraft rolled approximately 100 feet before the tail began to rise, and the propeller contacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53954
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 197-76
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2E, 180 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Coastal Soaring Association, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 83J · Pensacola, FL
- Destination
- 83J · Pensacola, FL
- Airport
- 83J · Coastal Airport, runway 36
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 4,460 total · 8 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
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 N53954 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.