On April 23, 1996, a Bellanca 7KCAB (registration N333JS) was involved in an aviation accident near Tucson, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: failure of the pilot to adequately compensate for gusting crosswind conditions and to maintain directional control. A factor in the accident was unattended construction equipment parked in close proximity to the runway edge. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing, a gust of wind caused the airplane to drift left. The pilot attempted a go-around but aborted upon seeing a parked back hoe, leading to a wing collision.
Accident Sequence
The pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and observed that the windsock indicated calm winds. He completed the standard rectangular traffic pattern without any indication of changing wind conditions. During touchdown, a gust of wind from the west lifted the right wing, causing the airplane to drift left. The pilot attempted to correct the drift but was unsuccessful. He then initiated a go-around maneuver. However, the pilot aborted the go-around when he noticed a back hoe in his path. The back hoe was parked unattended approximately 20 to 30 feet from the edge of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane's left wing collided with the back hoe.
Post-Accident Conditions
After the accident, it was observed that the winds shifted periodically with gusts exceeding 15 miles per hour.
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