Casualties unknown

1982-04-23: Bellanca 7ECA (N5066G) — Star Aviation — Spearfish, SD

Spearfish, SD, US

On April 23, 1982, a Bellanca 7ECA (registration N5066G) operated by Star Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Spearfish, SD. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot practicing touch and go landings overran the departure end of the runway and struck a fence after the aircraft settled back towards the runway following a soft field landing and attempted climb.

Incident Overview

A student pilot departed on runway 30 to practice touch and go landings and immediately entered the traffic pattern for runway 26. The pilot reported making a power-on, soft field landing, touching down at 65 knots indicated airspeed (IAS), and then immediately starting a takeoff.

Flight Sequence

After lift-off, the pilot lowered the nose to gain additional airspeed and began to climb. At approximately 100 to 150 feet above ground level (AGL), the aircraft began to settle back towards the runway. The pilot stated that he attempted to increase airspeed and maintain altitude but was unable to do so.

Runway Excursion

The aircraft touched down, overran the departure end of the runway, and struck a fence. After landing, the wind sock indicated a quartering tailwind.

Environmental Factors

An investigation indicated that there should have been sufficient runway available for a touch and go landing. The density altitude was calculated to be 5,885 feet above mean sea level (MSL). The airport had four runways.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20020917X01954. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.