Bellanca 7ECA accident near Gakona, Alaska, August 24, 2002
On August 24, 2002 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N9994Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gakona, Alaska (Chistochina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, and his excessive use of the airplane's brakes during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane nosing down. A contributing factor in the accident was wet, high grass along the runway edge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2002 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gakona, Alaska · Chistochina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9994Y · registry record · serial 8
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane at a remote airport. During the landing roll, the pilot said the airplane hit a bump on the surface of the runway, which threw the airplane upward and to the right. The airplane's right main landing gear tire then entered an area of tall, wet grass along the right edge of the runway, pulling the airplane further to the right. The pilot said he applied the brakes, and the airplane nosed down along the right side of the runway. The airplane received damage to the propeller and the left wingtip. A postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed the left wing received damage to at least two wing ribs.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 65 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,965 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAGK Gulkana AK at 3:45 pm
- Destination: CZO Gakona AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,060 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC02LA120.