No fatalities

6 Sep 2014: BELLANCA 8KCAB NO SERIES — Black Rock City, NV

Black Rock City, NV, United States

On 6 Sep 2014, a BELLANCA 8KCAB NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Black Rock City, NV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of visibility due to dust kicked up by a tailwind during landing on a dirt airstrip, resulting in a runway departure and nose-over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that after touchdown on a dirt airstrip, reduced visibility from dust kicked up by a tailwind caused the airplane to depart the runway and nose over, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Details

The pilot of an airplane reported that after touching down on a dirt airstrip, visibility dropped significantly. According to the pilot, this reduction in visibility was caused by dust that was kicked up due to a tailwind. As a result of the loss of visibility, the airplane departed the runway and subsequently nosed over.

Damage and Mechanical Condition

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and left wing tip. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

Narrative

The incident occurred during landing on an unpaved surface. The pilot attributed the visibility issue to dust being raised by the tailwind component. The sudden loss of forward visibility disoriented the pilot, leading to the airplane veering off the runway and flipping onto its nose. The extent of damage was limited to the tail section and left wing, with no other components reported as damaged.

Probable cause

Loss of visibility due to dust kicked up by a tailwind during landing on a dirt airstrip, resulting in a runway departure and nose-over.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome