What happened
On June 4, 2009, at approximately 13:00 CEST, a Bellanca 7 GCBC, registration D-EGPC, was performing a flight from Korbach, Germany, to České Budějovice, Czech Republic. The aircraft was landing on runway 27 under favorable meteorological conditions, with winds between 1 and 8 knots from 240-300 degrees.
The landing was initially stable, with the first touchdown occurring approximately 150 meters from the runway threshold on the centerline. Following a short 12-meter bounce, the aircraft made a second contact with the ground. Immediately after this second touchdown, the aircraft began to veer toward the left edge of the runway. This deviation increased steadily during the landing roll.
As the aircraft exited the paved surface, the nose pointed in a direction nearly opposite to the original landing heading. The right main landing gear struck the unpaved area first, causing the gear to break away. The aircraft then impacted the right wing before coming to rest on its left landing gear, tailwheel, and fuselage. The final position was approximately 10 meters from the left edge of runway 27, roughly 300 meters from the threshold.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing roll and the pilot's ability to maintain directional control. Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance records, which were found to be valid, and inspected the wreckage for signs of mechanical failure. No evidence of technical malfunction was found.
Findings
- The pilot was unable to correct the increasing leftward deviation during the landing roll.
- The pilot failed to maintain directional control following the aircraft's bounce during landing, leading to the excursion.
- The pilot had limited experience on this specific aircraft type, with only 47 hours logged on the model.