- Date
- August 9, 2023, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dixon, CA · Open field in a rural area near a residence
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N50443Bellanca 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 192866
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 loss of directional control after striking an unidentified object during landing on an unimproved runway, and his subsequent use of excessive braking that resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 4
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while conducting a pleasure flight he elected to land on an unimproved dirt airstrip. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear struck an unidentified object/hole which pulled the airplane to the right off the landing surface and toward a fence line. The pilot applied excessive braking, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing strut and the top of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50443
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1128-79
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 13,546.08
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 17, 2023
- Departed
- VCB · Vacaville, CA
- Airport
- NA · Na
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,891 total · 117 in this make and model · 3,355 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 11, 2022
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 36,700 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 36,700 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUU, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KSUU 092255Z AUTO 24013KT 10SM CLR 30/12 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP111 T03020121 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.
Other investigations on N50443 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.