- Date
- March 6, 2009, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4134BBellanca 17-31ATC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090306003939A
- Case key
- 73447
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 while landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The initial touchdown and landing roll were uneventful, and the pilot applied light pressure on the brakes. He felt the initial deceleration, and then thought that the left brake appeared to operate unevenly with the right brake. At the same instant, the right wing rose off the ground, and the right brake was thus ineffective. The airplane swerved hard to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right brake as the right wing settled back to the ground; however, the airplane departed the runway surface. The left wing collided with a taxiway sign and sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The initial touchdown and landing roll was uneventful, and the pilot applied light pressure on the brakes. He felt the initial deceleration, and then thought that the left brake grabbed. At the same instant, the right wing rose off the ground, and the right brake was thus ineffective. The airplane swerved hard to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right brake as the right wing settled back to the ground; however, the airplane departed the runway surface. The left wing collided with a taxi way sign, and sustained substantial damage. The impact turned the airplane into the grass median. The pilot then taxied uneventfully to parking.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4134B
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-31ATC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 74-31102
- Airframe hours
- 3,908
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1E5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David N Crowe
- Registered owner
- David N Crowe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 21, 2008 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- Pauma Valley, CA
- Destination
- BFL · Bakersfield, CA
- Airport
- BFL · Bakersfield Meadows, runway 30R, 10,857 × 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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 294 in this make and model · 308 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KBFL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.