Bellanca 7ACA N68556

Summary

On 18 July 1983 at about 00:34 local time, a Bellanca 7ACA registered N68556 was involved in an accident near Homestead, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

18 July 1983 at 00:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Homestead, Florida, United States

Coordinates

25.4907, -80.5109

Aircraft

Bellanca 7ACA

Registration

N68556

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marathon → Homestead Gnrl.

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA83LA186

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE 'TOPPED OFF' HIS FUEL TANK WITH 12 GAL OF FUEL AT HOMESTEAD, FL. HE THEN FLEW TO THE PORT LARGO ARPT AT KEY LARGO, FL AND TO THE MARATHON ARPT, MARATHON, FL, BUT DID NOT REPORT OBTAINING ADDITIONAL FUEL. WHILE EN ROUTE BACK TO HOMESTEAD, THE ENG LOST POWER. DURING A LANDING IN A CYPRESS SWAMP, THE LANDING GEAR SUNK IN DEEP MUD & THE ACFT NOSED OVER, AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE, EXCEPT THAT THE CABLE FROM THE BATTERY TO THE STARTER WAS BROKEN THRU 70% OF THE WIRES. THE PLT NOTED THAT THE STARTER WOULD NOT TURN THE PROPELLER WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG. ALSO, THE ELT BATTERY WAS OVERDUE FOR A CHANGE & THE ELT DID NOT WORK. HOWEVER, THE DOWNED ACFT WAS SPOTTED BY ANOTHER PLT & AN AIR FORCE HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO EVACUATE THE PLT & PASSENGER. THE ENG WOULD CONSUME APRX 3.7 GAL/HR AT 75% POWER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.