History of Flight
On March 5, 2012, at about 1556 mountain standard time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registration N5542K, impacted terrain about 12 miles southeast of Brockton, Montana. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight. The pilot departed Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport (SDY), Sidney, Montana at an unknown time.
Witnesses reported clear skies with no wind. The airplane approached from the north, flew over them, conducted a 360-degree turn at low altitude, flew over again, then appeared to ascend and make a left turn followed by a descent into the ground. The airplane appeared to "belly flop" onto the edge of an elevated driveway and came to rest on the other side. The engine sounded normal throughout the accident sequence.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 54, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land privileges issued on January 17, 1981. His most recent FAA third-class medical was issued on January 11, 2011, with the restriction of corrective lenses for near and far. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed that, as of the last entry on December 20, 1992, he had accumulated approximately 72 hours of flight experience, 5 of which were in the accident airplane.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather reporting station, approximately 27 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, reported at 1535: wind from 280 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 16 degrees Celsius, dewpoint -1 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.59 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in a field planted with trees in the yard of a residence. The first identified point of impact was an 8 by 13 foot crater on the southern edge of an elevated east/west driveway. The debris path continued approximately 211 feet in length from the impact crater to the main wreckage. A topped tree, approximately 100 feet northeast, followed the initial impact point. Approximately 50 feet beyond the topped tree, about 2 feet of the airplane's left wing tip was found at the base of another tree. The airplane came to rest in thick dirt approximately 205 feet beyond the initial impact point, at a heading of about 240 degrees. The forward fuselage sustained extensive aft crushing and deformation. The cabin area sustained side crushing. The inboard portion of the left wing remained attached to the fuselage; the left fuel tank and cap were intact. The right wing was partially attached with crush damage at the wing root. The aft fuselage was mostly intact with lateral deformation. The empennage was mostly intact and undamaged, except the left elevator outboard section was bent upward. Control continuity was established from all flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls.
Additional Information
A GPS receiver recovered from the wreckage was examined by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, but no data for the accident flight was found. Data from previous flights revealed flight maneuvers at low altitudes similar to those described during the accident sequence. The NTSB calculated the approximate weight and balance: the airplane weighed about 1,834 pounds with a center of gravity of 16.38 inches. Maximum gross weight is 1,650 pounds; the center of gravity range for normal operations at maximum gross weight is 14.2 to 19.2 inches.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was not completed on the pilot; the cause of death was reported as blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing was completed by the Richland County Coroner, with negative results for ethanol; caffeine was detected in the blood.
Tests and Research
The airplane was recovered to a storage facility and examined by the NTSB. Engine inspection revealed no visual anomalies. Cylinder rocker covers and spark plugs were removed; the spark plug electrode areas were consistent with "worn out – normal" per the Champion AV-27 chart. Valves were undamaged with no abnormal thermal discoloration. Cylinder compression and valve continuity were obtained from all cylinders. Both magnetos, when manually rotated, fired appropriately with spark from all ignition lead ends. The carburetor was disassembled; the screen was clear of debris, no fuel was found in the bowl, and one float was deformed. Cabin examination showed the throttle in full forward position. The fuel selector valve was found in the closed position. The gascolator was clear of debris. No stall warning system was installed. Examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.