- Date
- March 5, 1996, 15:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N86928Bellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960305007449A
- Case key
- 37990
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
improper compensation for wind conditions by the second pilot, his inadequate remedial action after the airplane lifted off during a wind gust, and inadequate supervision by the first pilot (PIC). A factor relating to the accident was: the gusty wind condition.
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-in-command (PIC), who occupied the rear seat, was training the front seat pilot regarding banner towing operations. When the flight returned from tow-training, the banner was dropped, and the pilots entered the traffic pattern to land. The front seat pilot was manipulating the controls on final approach with the flaps fully extended, when the flight encountered gusty wind conditions. After touchdown, the flight encountered a gust of wind, and the airplane became airborne again. The front seat pilot stated that he applied only partial power, and the airplane landed hard, causing the right main landing gear wheel/axle assembly to separate. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the threads of all 4 of the axle attach nuts revealed that they were stripped.
Factual narrative
On March 5, 1996, about 1510 central standard time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, N86928, registered to and operated by Aerial Ads, Inc., of the Southeast, landed hard then nosed over at a private airstrip called the Buchanan STOLPORT, Panama City Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 banner towing flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot-in-command (PIC) and commercial-rated trainee were not injured. The flight originated about 1405, from the Buchanan STOL PORT.
The PIC was in the rear seat and was training the front seat pilot regarding banner towing operations. The front seat pilot who was flying the airplane reported that gusty wind conditions existed and after dropping the banner, he turned base to final with the flaps fully extended. After a three point landing during the landing roll, a gust of wind occurred and the airplane then became airborne. He applied only partial power and the airplane landed hard causing the right main landing gear wheel/axle assembly to separate. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. The PIC stated that there was no preimpact failure or malfunction of the engine or flight controls.
Postaccident inspection of the right main landing gear axle attach hardware by an FAA inspector revealed that the threads of all four of the AN365-524 nuts were stripped. The nuts attach to bolts that secure the axle to the gear leg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86928
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-74
- Airframe hours
- 5,145
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aerial Ads, Inc., Of The South
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 1995 · 316 hours before
- Departed
- FA07
- Airport
- FA07 · Buchanan Stolport, runway 18, 1,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,450 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,360 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PFN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.