Summary
On September 22, 2016, a Bellanca 7GCBC (N5507K) was involved in an incident near Soldotna, AK. 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 failure to maintain an adequate glidepath during landing, which resulted in an unintended touchdown before the chosen landing area.
The pilot reported that while on a personal cross-country flight, and while approaching his destination airstrip, smoke in the cockpit and oil on the windscreen limited his forward visibility. He said that while landing he inadvertently touched down about 15 yards short of the site. The right wing struck a stand of brush, which pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing subsequently struck the ground.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar and fuselage.
After the accident, the pilot would not disclose to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the Alaska State Troopers where the airplane was located. Thus, neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor NTSB could examine the airplane after the accident.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC16CA073. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5507K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath during landing, which resulted in an unintended touchdown before the chosen landing area.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on a personal cross-country flight, and while approaching his destination airstrip, smoke in the cockpit and oil on the windscreen limited his forward visibility. He said that while landing he inadvertently touched down about 15 yards short of the site. The right wing struck a stand of brush, which pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing subsequently struck the ground.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar and fuselage.
After the accident, the pilot would not disclose to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the Alaska State Troopers where the airplane was located. Thus, neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor NTSB could examine the airplane after the accident.
The airplane was eventually recovered to Soldotna, Alaska, where a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness aviation safety inspector from the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office inspected it. The FAA inspector reported that the accident pilot had since sold the airplane on an "as is where is" basis. The new owner reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane besides the damage sustained in the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC16CA073