Bellanca 7GCBC N36236

Summary

On 16 August 2014 at about 23:30 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N36236 was involved in an accident near Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 August 2014 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

33.4958, -90.3222

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N36236

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenwood → Greenwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA392

2 people were seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power during maneuvering due to an obstruction from air intake filter material being ingested into the carburetor, which resulted in a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing simulated forced landings. The flight instructor reported that, during the third simulated forced landing, when the student pilot applied engine power to go around, the engine began to sputter, and it then experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and performed a forced landing to a cornfield, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that a portion of the air intake filter had been ingested into the carburetor and was obstructing the venturi opening, which likely resulted in the loss of engine power. The remaining portion of the air filter was not located, and its preimpact condition could not be determined. The engine examination also revealed that an intake valve inner spring had broken; however, the outer spring remained intact, and the broken inner spring did not contribute to the accident. A review of the maintenance records indicated that the airplane had been operated for about 13 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 8 months before the accident. A maintenance logbook entry noted that the induction filter was replaced at that time. The engine had accumulated about 1,265 total flight hours at the time of the accident and had not been overhauled since its manufacture about 41 years before the accident.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.