On November 10, 1999, a Bellanca 8GCBC (registration N55035) operated by Claude G. Steele IV was involved in an aviation accident near Hollandale, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the landing and the student pilot's failure to relinquish the flight controls when the certified flight instructor attempted to recover from a bounced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a wheel landing at a private airport, the airplane bounced, veered off the runway, and collided with a ditch. The flight instructor reported the student pilot did not relinquish controls.
Incident Overview
Following several takeoffs and landings at a municipal airport, a pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) returned to a private airport. Upon arrival, the pilot initiated an approach to perform a wheel landing on the north runway.
The Bounce and Recovery Attempt
During the touchdown phase of the wheel landing, the airplane bounced. According to the CFI, "I attempted to recover the airplane, but he, the student pilot, did not relinquish the controls."
Runway Excursion
The airplane subsequently veered off the eastern edge of the runway and collided with a ditch. The pilots reported no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to or during the incident.