Summary
On January 07, 2008, a Bellanca 7GCBC (N30WH) was involved in an incident near Exeter, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane veered to the right, which he corrected by using left rudder. The airplane again veered to the right, and as the pilot applied left rudder, the right main wheel came in contact with soft mud and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained damage to the wings and the left flap. The FAA coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot's statement was that he is a CFI who has instructed in Citabria's and usually sits in the rear seat. On this flight, he was taking a friend up and decided to fly from front seat. He stated that he was concerned when sitting in the front seat that he could not fully reach the rudder pedals (he is 5'6'' tall). He considered getting a pillow to help him sit forward but decided against it.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX08CA044. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N30WH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane veered to the right, which he corrected by using left rudder. The airplane again veered to the right, and as the pilot applied left rudder, the right main wheel came in contact with soft mud and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained damage to the wings and the left flap. The FAA coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot's statement was that he is a CFI who has instructed in Citabria's and usually sits in the rear seat. On this flight, he was taking a friend up and decided to fly from front seat. He stated that he was concerned when sitting in the front seat that he could not fully reach the rudder pedals (he is 5'6'' tall). He considered getting a pillow to help him sit forward but decided against it. He stated that his inability to apply full left rudder was a factor in loss of directional control.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX08CA044