On October 27, 2006, a Bellanca 7ECA (registration N57410) operated by Hummingbird Aviation, Llc was involved in an aviation accident near Eden Prairie, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot not maintaining directional control of the tailwheel airplane during the landing roll. A factor was the runway sign that was impacted. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage when it exited the runway and struck a runway sign during landing, according to the pilot's account.
Accident Details
The tailwheel airplane was substantially damaged after departing the runway and impacting a runway sign. The incident occurred during a landing attempt.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported setting up for a wheel landing with left wing low to compensate for a crosswind. After a slight bounce, the wheels touched down again, and the aircraft swerved left toward the edge of the runway. The pilot stated that a go-around was not attempted because of the proximity to a windsock pole. The airplane continued off the left side of the runway, rolled through grass, and crossed onto runway 18. During the excursion, the horizontal stabilizer struck a runway sign. The pilot indicated no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane related to the accident flight.