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ANC93LA133

1993-08-01 · SOLDOTNA, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SXQ

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 1, 1993, at 1200 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N68578, landed short of the approach end of the runway, then nosed over at Soldotna, Alaska. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The personal local flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, had departed from the Soldotna Airport about 15 minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan was filed. Shortly after the accident the pilot stated that one of the airplane's brakes locked up while performing a post maintenance high speed taxi. One witness, Mr. Richard Reed, stated that the airplane nosed over after it touched down short of the runway during landing. Several other persons reportedly witnessed the accident but would not identify themselves. Officer John Gregory from the Soldotna Police Department, stated that he found ground scars that indicated that the airplane touched down short of the runway.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Following the accident FAA Inspector David S. McGlothlen, FSDO-03, Anchorage, Alaska, interviewed the pilot, Mr. Theodore A. Smith. At that time the pilot stated that the accident occurred while he was practicing short field landings. On NTSB Form 6120.1/2 (Accident Report), the pilot reported that he was practicing aborted takeoffs on short fields, and applied the brakes too "aggressively". WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE TOUCH DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSE OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_ANC93LA133.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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