Accident Details
On April 26, 2008, at approximately 1030 Alaska daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, registration N10987, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Tetlin Airport in Tetlin, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The rear-seat pilot, a certificated flight instructor (CFI), and the front-seat pilot, a student pilot, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from Tok Airport, Tok, Alaska, about 0900.
Sequence of Events
According to the CFI, the student had completed a series of touch-and-go landings on runway 26, a gravel runway. During the accident landing, the student allowed the airplane to bounce slightly. As the main wheels touched down again, the airplane veered to the left. The CFI reported that he took control of the airplane in an attempt to realign it, but it continued to veer left. He then applied full engine power to abort the landing. The airplane became airborne momentarily but descended into an area on the left side of the runway and collided with rough and uneven terrain. The airplane came to rest upright, sustaining structural damage to the wings, wing lift struts, fuselage, and empennage. The CFI noted that winds were calm at the time of the accident.
Post-Accident Inspection
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office examined the airplane after recovery and reported that no preaccident mechanical anomalies were found.