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LAX93LA128

1993-02-20 · PALO ALTO, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PAO

Current FAA registration · N5506C

Make / Model
BELLANCA 7ECA
Year of manufacture
1978 · 15 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780731
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A70298

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOTS INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXISTING CROSSWIND CONDITION AND HIS RESULTANT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.

Factual narrative

IN A VERBAL STATEMENT TO FAA INSPECTORS, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING A TOUCH AND GO HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER AFTER ENCOUNTERING A SOFT MUDDY AREA. REVIEW OF THE ATCT TAPES REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE FROM RUNWAY 12, AND, WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON THE FIRST CIRCUIT, THE RUNWAY WAS CHANGED BY THE ATCT TO 30. PRIOR TO LANDING, THE ATCT TRANSMITTED TWO WIND ADVISORIES TO THE PILOT, INDICATING WINDS FROM 230 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. THE CONTROLLERS ON DUTY IN THE TOWER CAB REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT MID FIELD, THEN VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO A GRASSY AREA. THE CONTROLLERS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT THEN VEERED TO THE RIGHT, CROSSED OVER THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER IN A MARSHY AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_LAX93LA128.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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