Bellanca 17-30 N39818

Summary

On 7 February 2024 at about 17:00 local time, a Bellanca 17-30 registered N39818 was involved in an accident near Stevensville, Maryland, 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

7 February 2024 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Stevensville, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Bay Bridge (W29)

Coordinates

38.9763, -76.3291

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-30

Registration

N39818

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pottstown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA112

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing with a crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during the approach to runway 29, the airplane was stable, and that the touchdown was “smooth”. The pilot described that the airplane handled as expected in flight and during the approach and that there was a wind from 010 degrees at 8 knots. After touchdown, as he lowered the nosewheel, the airplane made an uncontrolled turn to the left which he attempted to correct with full right rudder and right brake. The airplane struck a runway light before departing the runway and coming to rest in a ditch. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical defects with the rudder system controls or the nosewheel steering system. The nosewheel landing gear upper leg, lower drag strut, and right-hand lower steering rod were displaced and exhibited fractures consistent with overload as a result of impact damage. Based on this information, it is most likely that the pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing crosswind from the right resulted in a loss of control during landing and the subsequent runway excursion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.