Bellanca 8GCBC N178TT

Summary

On 13 June 2021 at about 16:30 local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC registered N178TT was involved in an accident near Nenana, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

13 June 2021 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nenana, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Lynx Strip (None)

Coordinates

64.4198, -148.4616

Aircraft

Bellanca 8GCBC

Registration

N178TT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA046

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance with trees during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff the private pilot flew to several different airstrips where he performed several full-stop landings. He then elected to fly to the “Lynx Strip” and flew across the runway and did not notice any “significant [wind]” at low altitude or on the water of a nearby pond. He performed two passes over the runway from different directions and again noted the wind was “negligible.” He performed two landings to the north then a full stop landing to the south. He departed and performed a “left traffic teardrop” for a final landing to the north. Either at touchdown or just moments before he felt drag on the right wing and realized the right wingtip was, “in the small Black Spruce [trees] to the right of the runway.” He applied left rudder and some aileron input to correct back to center, but the drag on the right wing increased. The airplane made an arc to the right and contact black spruce trees off the right side of the runway coming to rest upright perpendicular to the runway facing east. According to the airplane manufacturer, the total wingspan of the airplane was about 36 ft. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the leading edges of both wings which was greater than 10% of the total wingspan; therefore, the damage was considered substantial.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.