- Date
- July 5, 1997, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mooresville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7636SBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970705017009A
- Case key
- 38308
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 obtain the proper touchdown point on landing resulting in a go-around, and a subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
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 stated he was landing on a 2,000 foot long grass strip. He approach was fast, he landed long, bounced, and saw that he would not be able to stop the airplane before going off the end of the runway into the trees. He attempted a go-around, and the airplane collided with the trees and terrain.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 1997, about 1730 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N7636S, registered to a private owner crashed on landing at Miller Air Park, Mooresville, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Lake Norman Air Park, Mooresville, North Carolina, about 10 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated this was his first landing on the 2,000-foot grass strip. His approach was fast. He landed long, bounced and saw he was not going to be able to stop the airplane before going off the end of the runway into the trees. He attempted a go-around, and the airplane collided with the trees and terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7636S
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1165-76
- Airframe hours
- 1,463
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert C. Cahill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1997 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- 14A · NC
- Destination
- NC30 · NC
- Airport
- NONE · Miller Airpark, runway 36, 2,000 × 150 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
- 73
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 69 in this make and model · 380 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT, 37 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.