History of Flight
On August 31, 2012, at approximately 1500 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, registration N57511, collided with a high tension power cable spanning a river about 12 miles southeast of Homer, Alaska. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage. The flight was conducted as a personal cross-country under visual flight rules (VFR) in marginal visual meteorological conditions (MVFR). The private pilot, the sole occupant, departed Beluga Lake Seaplane Base in Homer around 1450. No flight plan was filed, and no record indicates a weather briefing was obtained. According to a family member, the pilot intended to ferry camping gear to a remote lake southeast of Homer and then return to pick up a passenger.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and wings.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a 1973 Bellanca 7GCBC, N57511, equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series engine. No airframe or engine logbooks were available for examination. The pilot, aged 66, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land and single-engine sea operations. He possessed a third-class airman medical certificate with a limitation to wear corrective lenses, issued on February 15, 2011. According to FAA records, his estimated total flight experience was about 2,000 hours, with 40 hours accrued in the preceding six months.
Meteorological Information
Marginal meteorological conditions prevailed at Homer around the time of departure. The nearest official weather observation station was at Homer Airport (PAHO), about 10 miles northwest of the accident site. At 1453, a METAR reported wind from 230 degrees true at 3 knots, visibility of 3 statute miles with light rain, scattered clouds at 400 feet, an overcast ceiling at 1,200 feet, temperature 46°F, dew point 46°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.72 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located in shallow water on a sandbar near the center of a braided river valley. The terrain featured steep rising ground on the southwest side and gently sloping ground on the northeast. Multiple high tension power cables were strung across the river, with one severed cable lying on the ground. The severed cable and other intact cables were marked with large orange power line marking balls. The airplane came to rest after a nose-low, near-vertical descent (estimated 60 degrees or more). The wings were straight but displayed wrinkling near both tips. The fuselage was broken and bent 90 degrees aft of the cabin; the empennage remained intact. A large impact divot on the vertical stabilizer's leading edge was not attributed to terrain contact. Flight control continuity was established. The propeller blades exhibited torsional twisting and severe leading-edge gouging, consistent with engine power at the moment of terrain impact.
Additional Information
The investigation did not determine a probable cause. The source notes that Federal Aviation Regulation 91.103 outlines a pilot's preflight duties, but no direct causal link was established.