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Atlas / NTSB / CEN24LA306

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN24LA306

2024-07-31 Cleveland, Mississippi, United States Airport · RNV None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N188RS

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BELLANCA 8GCBC

Year of manufacture

1979 · 45 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

3 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19791221

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A15FEC

Registrant of record

VARDAMAN CHARLES

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to attain/maintain directional control and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was for him to fulfill insurance rental requirements. The pilot, accompanied by a flight instructor, successfully completed four wheel landings and then performed three 3-point landings. During the subsequent landing by the pilot, the airplane drifted toward the right of the runway. The pilot applied left rudder control input to maintain the runway centerline, but the airplane continued its’ drift. The pilot applied full brakes prior to the airplane departing the right side of the runway and into a grass area where the right main landing gear struck uneven terrain, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and right wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA306.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.