- Date
- July 3, 2004, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- North Creek, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57430Bellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040703012189A
- Case key
- 59551
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 during the landing roll. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of experience in tail-wheeled airplanes.
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 was landing the tail-wheeled airplane to the northwest, on a 3,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, turf runway. After touchdown, the airplane veered to the right, and it's right wingtip impacted a tree. The pilot reported that the winds were calm, and he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. The pilot had accumulated about 122 hours of total flight experience, which included 11 hours in tail-wheel airplanes. He received an endorsement to operate tail-wheel airplanes 9 days prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 2004, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N57430, was substantially damaged while landing at the Bennetts Airport, North Creek, New York. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he was landing the tail-wheeled airplane to the northwest, on a 3,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, turf runway. After touchdown, the airplane veered to the right, and it's right wingtip impacted a tree.
The pilot reported that the winds were calm, and he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions.
According to the pilot's logbook, prior to the accident, he had accumulated about 122 hours of total flight experience, which included 11 hours in tail-wheel airplanes. He received an endorsement to operate tail-wheel airplanes on June 24, 2004.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57430
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 944-73
- Airframe hours
- 1,470
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard F. Case
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 29, 2003 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- Johnstown, NY
- Destination
- 0NY0 · North Creek, NY
- Airport
- 0NY0 · Bennetta Airport, runway NW, 3,000 × 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 124 total · 11 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- GFL, 31 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.
Other investigations on N57430 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.