On November 3, 2007, a Bellanca 7GCBC (registration N712J) operated by Texas Taildraggers was involved in an aviation accident near Arcola, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot lost control of the airplane after encountering a gust of wind from the right while attempting to land on Runway 27. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A private pilot lost control of a tailwheel-equipped airplane while landing on Runway 27 after encountering a gust of wind from the right, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway and nose over into a ditch.
Incident Overview
A private pilot lost control of a tailwheel-equipped airplane while attempting to land on Runway 27. According to the pilot, the incident occurred when a gust of wind from the right affected the aircraft just before the tailwheel made contact with the ground. The wind caused the tail to move left, turning the airplane into the wind. The pilot was unable to compensate for the gust and subsequently lost control.
Attempted Go-Around
An attempt to execute a go-around was unsuccessful. The airplane then drifted off the 100-foot wide asphalt runway and contacted standing water in a nearby ditch. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position.
Pilot Information
The pilot reported that the winds at the time were from 290 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 12 knots. The pilot had accumulated a total of 14 hours of flight experience in the same make and model of airplane.
Probable cause
The pilot lost control of the airplane after encountering a gust of wind from the right while attempting to land on Runway 27.