Bellanca 7GCBC N88342

Summary

On 4 December 2013 at about 16:25 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N88342 was involved in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 2013 at 16:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Soldotna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Dutch Landing Strip (88AK)

Coordinates

60.5372, -150.8681

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N88342

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sterling → Port Graham

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC14CA010

2 people had minor injuries.

The operation of the airplane by the uncertificated student pilot, his failure to recognize conditions conducive to structural icing, and subsequent decision to depart in conditions conducive to structural icing, resulting in a severe icing encounter and forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The uncertificated student pilot stated that he had been watching the weather for three days waiting for suitable flying conditions. He checked the automated weather at a nearby airport, and decided that conditions were suitable for flying. He and a passenger then took off on a cross-country flight. During the climb to cruise altitude, the uncertificated student pilot  began to notice specks of ice on the windscreen. A short time later, ice suddenly began to accumulate rapidly on the airplane, obscuring the windscreen. He could see an airstrip ahead and to the left of the airplane, and started a rapid descent to set up for a landing. As he approached the airstrip, he said that he was still too fast and too high to attempt a landing, so he initiated a go-around. During the second landing attempt, he said that the airplane felt very heavy and sluggish, and as he began to slowly decrease the throttle on the landing approach, the airplane began to lose altitude very fast. He attempted a second go-around, but the engine backfired and lost power. He landed the airplane just past the end of the airstrip on a dirt road, but the right wing struck a power line guy wire, and the airplane spun to the right, striking a road sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.