On May 17, 1985, a Bellanca 7ECA (registration N2899Z) was involved in an aviation accident near Rio Vista, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper landing technique, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent loss of control during recovery. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a training flight, a student pilot bounced on landing and held the aircraft in a three-point attitude. The instructor added full power to recover, but the right wing dropped onto rising terrain, causing a ground loop.
What happened
The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that during a training session, the student pilot executed a bounced landing recovery. As the aircraft approached the runway, the student held it in a three-point attitude above the surface. Airspeed decayed rapidly as the aircraft remained airborne.
To prevent a stall or hard landing, the CFI took control of the aircraft and applied full power. However, the right wing dropped sharply. The wingtip grazed the rising terrain on the right shoulder of the runway. This contact induced a ground loop to the right, resulting in further damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The instructor provided a detailed account of the flight control inputs and the sequence of events leading to the damage. No mechanical failure was reported prior to the incident. The damage was consistent with the described ground loop and wingtip contact.
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper landing technique, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent loss of control during recovery.