- Date
- July 6, 2012, 14:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7322VBellanca 17-30
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120706012439A
- Case key
- 84245
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 landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with an airport lighting system.
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 pilot stated that he configured the airplane for landing and touched down with the main landing gear contacting the surface first. The airplane continued a normal landing roll until the nose gear touched down, at which point the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot manipulated the rudder pedals in an attempt to regain directional control, but the airplane continued to the left. Despite his efforts, the airplane collided with the visual approach slope indicator lighting system, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. A postimpact examination of the nose gear showed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he configured the airplane for landing and touched down with the main landing gear contacting the surface first. The airplane continued a normal landing roll until the nose gear touched down, at which point the airplane made a sharp veer to the left. The pilot manipulated the rudder pedals in an attempt to regain directional control, but the airplane continued to the left. Despite his efforts, the airplane collided with the Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) lighting system, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. A Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness inspector performed a post impact examination of the nose gear and found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7322V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30177
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TTD · Troutdale, OR
- Destination
- HIO · Hillsboro, OR
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- HIO · Portland-Hillsboro Airport, runway 31, 6,600 × 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 3,750 total · 750 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.