Bellanca 17-31ATC N4134B

Summary

On 6 March 2009 at about 21:45 local time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC registered N4134B, operated by David N Crowe, was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, California, United States. 2 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.

Date

6 March 2009 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bakersfield, California, United States

Nearest airport

Bakersfield Meadows (BFL)

Coordinates

35.4336, -119.0569

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-31ATC

Registration

N4134B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David N Crowe

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pauma Valley → Bakersfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09CA143

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The initial touchdown and landing roll were uneventful, and the pilot applied light pressure on the brakes. He felt the initial deceleration, and then thought that the left brake appeared to operate unevenly with the right brake. At the same instant, the right wing rose off the ground, and the right brake was thus ineffective. The airplane swerved hard to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right brake as the right wing settled back to the ground; however, the airplane departed the runway surface. The left wing collided with a taxiway sign and sustained substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.