Bellanca 8GCBC N88266

Summary

On 28 April 2013 at about 20:05 local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC registered N88266, operated by Kraxberger Rick R, was involved in an accident near Seward, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

28 April 2013 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Seward, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.1269, -149.4189

Aircraft

Bellanca 8GCBC

Registration

N88266

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kraxberger Rick R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Soldotna → Seward

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13CA039

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to land on an unsuitable landing surface, which resulted in a nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a soft tidal beach. Before the attempted landing, the pilot circled the beach about 700 feet above ground level and thought it looked suitable for landing. During a second low pass, he allowed the main wheels and tailwheel to touch down to determine how soft the surface was, and he believed the surface was firm. During the landing roll, the main landing gear contacted an area of soft sand, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left lift strut and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.