Bellanca 7ECA N8809
14 September 1996 · Arlington, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 September 1996 at about 22:00 local time, a Bellanca 7ECA registered N8809 was involved in an accident near Arlington, Washington, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Arlington, Washington, United States
- Nearest airport
- Arlington Municipal (AWO)
- Coordinates
- 48.1800, -121.6693
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Registration
- N8809
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Port Townsend → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA96LA215
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
inadequate visual lookout by the pilot of the Piper J3, and failure of the flight instructor in the Bellance to ensure that clearance was maintained from the other moving aircraft. Factors relating to the accident were: the inherent visual restrictions encountered by pilots of tailwheel equipped aircraft, and the proximity of the other aircraft that was moving on the ground.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilots of a Bellanca landed on runway 16, turned off at an exit about 1500 feet from the approach end, then taxied south on the parallel taxiway. At about the same time, the pilot of a Piper J-3 was taxiing north on the same taxiway in order to takeoff on runway 16. The flight instructor in the rear seat of the Bellanca saw the J-3 and moved to the far right side of the taxiway in order to stay clear of the oncoming aircraft. However, the pilot of the J-3, who was also sitting in the rear seat of his aircraft, did not see the oncoming Bellanca, and did not move to his right side of the taxiway; but instead continued north unaware of the other aircraft. As the two tailwheel equipped aircraft neared, the instructor (CFI) in the Bellanca did not continually keep the J-3 in sight. Instead, the CFI assumed that the J-3 had also moved to the right and that his aircraft was '...well clear to the right.' As the aircraft approached each other, clearance was not maintained and they collided on the taxiway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellanca 7ECA 7ECA | N8809 | - | Substantial |
| Piper J3C-65 J3C-65 | N88334 | - | Substantial |
Other Bellanca 7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 1996 | Bellanca 7GCAA | Hinckley, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Apr 1996 | Bellanca 7KCAB | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 1996 | Bellanca 7KCAB | South Wales, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 1996 | Bellanca 7GCAA | Los Alamitos, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1996 | Bellanca 7ECA | Bedford, Massachusetts, United States | Hanscom AFB Aero Club | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1996 | Bellanca 7ECA | Belle Plaine, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 1996 | Cessna U206F | Crane Island, Washington, United States | West Isle Air | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1996 | Beechcraft 35 | Spokane, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1996 | Cessna 172N | Enumclaw, Washington, United States | Aeroflight | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-18 | Ephrata, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1996 | Westcott GLASAIR I-FT | Puyallup, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1996 | Grumman-Schweizer G-164B | Waitsburg, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |