Bellanca 7ECA N8618V

Summary

On 1 May 2024 at about 15:20 local time, a Bellanca 7ECA registered N8618V was involved in an accident near Watervliet, Michigan, 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

1 May 2024 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Watervliet, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Watervliet Municipal Airport (40C)

Coordinates

42.2007, -86.2493

Aircraft

Bellanca 7ECA

Registration

N8618V

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Michigan City → Watervilet

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA176

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control during the landing roll on a soft turf runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while landing on a turf runway in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the main landing gear encountered soft terrain upon touchdown. The airplane rapidly decelerated and the tail rose. The pilot applied full aft pressure on the control stick but was unable to regain control before the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. During the nose over the airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.