On May 30, 1992, a Bellanca 7ACA (registration N9159L) operated by A-1 Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Rosalia, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a collision with runway lights, and the subsequent impact after becoming airborne again. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A taildragger aircraft veered right during a touch-and-go landing, striking runway lights before the pilot attempted to become airborne again and settling back onto the pavement.
What happened
The owner of the aircraft reported that the pilot was conducting practice touch-and-go landings. During the final landing attempt, the airplane suddenly veered to the right and collided with runway lights. The pilot applied power in an effort to become airborne again. However, the aircraft settled back to the ground and struck additional runway lights before coming to a stop.
The investigation
A physical inspection of the wreckage revealed that the tailwheel spring bracket had broken. This mechanical failure is consistent with the sudden directional control loss observed during the landing phase.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a collision with runway lights, and the subsequent impact after becoming airborne again.