No fatalities

28 Jun 2015: BELLANCA 7GCBC NO SERIES — Thomas T. Ritter — Williston, ND

Williston, ND, United States

On 28 Jun 2015, a BELLANCA 7GCBC NO SERIES operated by Thomas T. Ritter was involved in an aviation accident near Williston, ND. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, leading to a runway excursion and a collision with runway marking signs. 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 Bellanca 7GCBC veered off the runway and struck marking signs during an aborted landing attempt.

What happened

On June 28, 2015, a Bellanca 7GCBC, registration N8723, was performing a landing in Williston, North Dakota, under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 060 degrees at 4 knots.

During the landing roll, the pilot encountered an aggressive shimmy from the tailwheel. In an attempt to abort the landing, the pilot applied full power. This maneuver caused the aircraft to veer to the right of the runway, where it struck two runway marking signs. The impact caused substantial damage to the right wing and the wing strut. There were no injuries resulting from the accident.

The investigation

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions regarding the engine or airframe prior to the impact that would have prevented normal operation.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, leading to a runway excursion and a collision with runway marking signs.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome