NTSB LAX88LA280 — 1988-08-05 · PALO ALTO, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N8662V

Make / Model: BELLANCA 7ECA
Engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19750502
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ABE7D3

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8662V Bellanca 7ECA Minor

Factual narrative

ALL OF THE PILOT'S PRIOR FLIGHT TRAINING WAS DONE IN TAILWHEEL TYPE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT HAD MADE FOUR FULL STOP LANDINGS DURING THE PATTERN PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONAL SESSION AND HE SAID THAT HE EXPERIENCED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEMS DURING EACH OF THE LANDINGS. NO PROBLEMS WERE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE TAKEOFFS OR TAXI OPERATIONS. ON THE FIFTH LANDING, THE PILOT SAID THAT HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL JUST AFTER LOWERING THE TAIL TO THE GROUND AND THE 'WIND PICKED UP THE LEFT WING.' THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO INITIATE A GO AROUND AND THE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. AFTER LIFTOFF THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL STRUCTURES ON THE AIRPORT BEFORE FINALLY HITTING A LARGE TREE ON AN ADJACENT GOLF COURSE. THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FLYING CLUB STATED THAT THE STUDENT'S INSTRUCTOR WAS ON PROBATION FOR CONSISTENT PROBLEMS IN TURNING OUT WEAK STUDENTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_LAX88LA280.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.