On February 26, 1995, a Bellanca 7ECA (registration N53893) was involved in an aviation accident near San Jose, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the conventional gear aircraft during an aborted landing attempt. Factors in the accident were the student's high and fast approach and his failure to achieve the proper touchdown point. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot reported touching down high and fast on a runway, then aborting the landing due to insufficient runway length, resulting in a veer-off and nose-over in a muddy area.
Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a solo flight in a Bellanca 7ECA when the landing attempt resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over. According to the student's account, the approach was high and fast, leading to a touchdown approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway.
Sequence of Events
Realizing that the remaining runway was insufficient to bring the aircraft to a stop, the student added power to abort the landing. During the abort maneuver, the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and entered a muddy area on the airport. The aircraft then nosed over.
Pilot Background
The student's flight instructor confirmed that the student had been endorsed for solo flights in the Bellanca 7ECA on January 19, 1995. At the time of the incident, the student had accumulated approximately eight hours of solo flight time.