On July 23, 2004, a Bellanca 7GCAA (registration N88373) operated by Thomas D. Roorda was involved in an aviation accident near Sequim, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Aircraft control not maintained during the landing roll. A factor was the irrigation pipe. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft veered right after landing despite rudder and brake inputs, exited the runway, and struck an irrigation pipe, damaging the right wing. No pre-flight or in-flight anomalies were detected.
Event Details
After landing, the aircraft began to veer slightly to the right. The pilot applied right rudder to correct the deviation but received no response. A second attempt at right rudder yielded the same result. The pilot then pressed the right brake, but the aircraft continued off the edge of the runway into a grassy area. Subsequently, the aircraft impacted an irrigation pipe, causing substantial damage to the right wing.
Aircraft and Flight History
No anomalies with the airplane were detected prior to or during the flight. The aircraft operated normally until the landing phase.
Damage
The right wing sustained substantial damage from the impact with the irrigation pipe.