Williston, ND, USA
N8709V
BELLANCA 7KCAB
The pilot reported that he was performing a landing in a wheat field. When the pilot began to flare the airplane, the main landing gear became entangled with the tall wheat grass, which resulted in the airplane lurching forward and to the right. The right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. Nine days before the accident, the pilot had marked a 1,000-foot-long landing strip in the field. He stated that the wheat grass had grown considerably since then.
In a statement provided by the pilot, he was performing a landing in a wheat field. The pilot approached the field from the west and flew a midfield downwind at 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) over the intended landing strip. When the pilot began to flare the airplane, the main landing gear became entangled with the tall wheat grass, which resulted in the airplane lurching forward and to the right. The right wing impacted the ground and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and pointed in the opposite direction of flight. Nine days prior to the accident, the pilot had marked a 1,000 foot landing strip in the field. He stated that the wheat grass had grown considerably since then.
The pilot's failure to ensure a suitable landing surface.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
