Summary
On June 05, 2016, a Bellanca 7GCBC (N8777) was involved in an incident near Ferndale, MT. All 1 person 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 loss of directional control during takeoff resulting in a decision to rotate early, and a collision with a hangar and subsequent fire.
According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, during the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted left of the centerline. He reported that he corrected the drift by applying right rudder and the airplane began to decelerate. He recalled that he released the right rudder input in order to reposition his foot off of the heel brake and noticed that the airplane was approaching a left landing strip boundary marker rapidly. He reported that he decided to rotate early and the airplane continued drifting left, collided with the roof of a hangar, and dropped to the ground where it caught on fire.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA284. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N8777.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff resulting in a decision to rotate early, and a collision with a hangar and subsequent fire.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, during the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted left of the centerline. He reported that he corrected the drift by applying right rudder and the airplane began to decelerate. He recalled that he released the right rudder input in order to reposition his foot off of the heel brake and noticed that the airplane was approaching a left landing strip boundary marker rapidly. He reported that he decided to rotate early and the airplane continued drifting left, collided with the roof of a hangar, and dropped to the ground where it caught on fire. The airplane was destroyed by the fire.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane prior to the takeoff roll that would have prevented normal flight operations.
The pilot's last flight review was 08AUG2009. The pilot has accumulated 165 total hours of flight time and a total of 7 hours in make and model.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA16CA284