Bellanca 8GCBC N29785
7 July 2009 · Sutton, Alaska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 7 July 2009 at about 01:00 local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC registered N29785, operated by Barickman Will D, was involved in an accident near Sutton, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sutton, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Palmer Municipal Airport (PAAQ)
- Coordinates
- 62.0214, -148.1381
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Registration
- N29785
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Barickman Will D
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palmer → Palmer
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC09CA060
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane after an in-flight encounter with a downdraft in mountainous terrain, and his decision to fly at an altitude where such an encounter made a successful recovery unlikely.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot made a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 in mountainous terrain. He said that as the airplane passed near an area of steep terrain, he encountered a strong downdraft, and the airplane began to descend. He added full engine power to stop the descent, but the airplane continued to descend, and it impacted an area of down sloping tundra-covered terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. He characterized wind on the ground as light and variable, but reported encountering stronger winds just before the accident. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident might have been avoided if he had been flying at a higher altitude, which would have provided more altitude for a recovery.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bellanca 8 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 2009 | Bellanca 8KCAB | Waring, Texas, United States | Seaman Mark | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2009 | Bellanca 8KCAB | Moscow, Tennessee, United States | Ray K. Davis | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Jul 2010 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | Buckmeier Arlan M | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2008 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2008 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Northway, Alaska, United States | Worker Timothy M | No injuries | - |
| 1 Sep 2008 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | Dave Whitmer | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2009 | Beechcraft V35A | Northway, Alaska, United States | Patigler Gerhard | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Jul 2009 | Noorduyn UC-64A | Akiachak, Alaska, United States | Renfro Michael W | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2009 | Beechcraft G18S | Yakutat, Alaska, United States | Munich Hans W | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2009 | Cessna A185F | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Frank R. Bell | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2009 | De Havilland DHC-2 | King Salmon, Alaska, United States | Katmai Air Leasing LLC | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Harden RV-7 | Elim, Alaska, United States | Harden Bruce D R | Fatal | 2 |