Bellanca 7ECA accident near Westfield, IN
On June 18, 2000, a Bellanca 7ECA (airplane) was involved in an accident near Westfield, IN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 18, 2000
- Place
- Westfield, IN
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.041°N, 86.131°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21165
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 18, 2000, at 1636 eastern standard time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N1195E, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with a tree and the terrain. The pilot was executing a forced landing following a loss of engine power during initial climb from runway 36 (3,000 feet by 100 feet, dry/turf) at the Westfield Airport, Westfield, Indiana. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured and his single passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and had a destination of Sheridan Airport, Sheridan, Indiana. Witnesses to the accident said that the aircraft was in a shallow, slow, climb, when it crossed the departure-end of runway 36. The witnesses said that when the airplane crossed the departure-end of the runway it was approximately 150 feet above ground level (agl) when the engine ceased to operate. Subsequent to the loss of engine power, the aircraft was witnessed to start a left turn back towards the departure airport. The witnesses reported that while the airplane was maneuvering back to the airport the nose of the aircraft dropped and the aircraft impacted the tree and the terrain. One of the witnesses reported in a written statement, "The engine totally stopped and it [the airplane] spiraled around and nosed dived straight to the ground." A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector interviewed the passenge
Probable cause
The pilot's improper in-flight decison to maneuver back to the departure airport following the loss of engine power on initial climb, the pilot's loss of aircraft control and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane. Contributing factors to the accident were the obstructed induction air ducting, the weather condition that was conducive for carburetor icing, the low altitude mane
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Browse: Indiana · Bellanca aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
