Accident Overview
On August 19, 2012, at approximately 1630 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registration N68564, nosed over while landing at Sidney Municipal Airport (KSNY) in Sidney, Nebraska. The airplane, registered to a private individual, was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight originating from Hanging L Ranch Airstrip, Mullen, Nebraska, at 1510. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were uninjured, but the airplane sustained substantial damage.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot's accident report, a normal landing was performed on runway 02, a 4,700-foot by 75-foot turf strip, with light and variable winds. As the airplane decelerated, it began to turn to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and brake to prevent a ground loop. Subsequently, the tail rose, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer was crushed.
Post-Accident Inspection
While the airplane was inverted, the pilot rotated the tires. The left tire turned freely, but the right tire dragged and required pressure to turn. The pilot suggested that additional practice with brake and rudder use might help manage the aircraft's double puck brakes, large tires, and extended landing gear.
The Federal Aviation Administration contacted the Sidney Airport manager, who is also a licensed A&P mechanic. The manager reported that both wheels spun normally before the aircraft was placed back on its landing gear. Police officers at the scene also spun the wheels and found no issues. The airport manager added that the aircraft was towed to a hangar and rolled normally, finding no indication of mechanical failure in the wheel or brake system.