- Date
- March 16, 2013, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sonoma, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8564VBellanca 7ECA
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 24, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130316005219A
- Case key
- 86530
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the touchdown and landing roll.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot reported that, while on final approach, the airplane was too high; therefore, he conducted a slip maneuver to lose altitude. As the airplane touched down on the runway, it veered to the right. Despite pilot rudder control inputs, the airplane exited the runway and impacted a fence and the wind indicator, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on final approach, the airplane was too high; therefore, he conducted a slip maneuver to lose altitude. As the airplane touched down on the runway, it veered to the right. Despite pilot control inputs, the airplane exited the runway and impacted a fence and the wind indicator, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8564V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1049-74
- Airframe hours
- 3,699
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 Series, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Travis Morton, doing business as Carneros Aviation
- Registered owner
- Travis Morton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2013
- Departed
- 0Q9 · Sonoma, CA
- Destination
- 0Q9 · Sonoma, CA
- Airport
- 0Q9 · Sonoma Skypark Airport, runway 26, 2,480 × 40 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 18 total · 18 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- APC, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 380 KB 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.