Bellanca 7GCBC N53977

Summary

On 20 July 2012 at about 22:00 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N53977, operated by Above Alaska Aviation, LLC, was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 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.

Date

20 July 2012 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.4493, -149.7902

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N53977

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Above Alaska Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Talkeetna → Talkeetna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12CA078

1 person had minor injuries.

The flight instructor's and student pilot's excessive application of brakes during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a noseover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and pilot-rated student were practicing off-airport landings and takeoffs in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. After landing on a gravel bar, the instructor and student surveyed the takeoff area on foot. During the subsequent takeoff run, the airplane was not accelerating as hoped, and, just prior to the abort point, the instructor told the student to abort the takeoff. The instructor joined the student pilot on the controls. During the attempt to stop the airplane, the brakes were applied too heavily, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and vertical stabilizer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.