Friday, March 26, 2021

Bellanca 17-30A Viking, N93638: Accident occurred March 26, 2021 at Bessemer Municipal Airport (KEKY), Jefferson County, Alabama

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Birmingham, Alabama 

Hatch Transportation LLC

Location: Bessemer, AL
Accident Number: ERA21LA162
Date & Time: March 26, 2021, 16:30 Local
Registration: N93638
Aircraft: Bellanca 1730
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bellanca
Registration: N93638
Model/Series: 1730 A 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: EKY,699 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:56 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 23°C /12°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / ,
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4700 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.07 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: 
Destination: Bessemer, AL

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 33.312611,-86.926306 

 
A pilot was injured when his plane crashed Friday afternoon in Bessemer.

The crash happened at 4:13 p.m. at the Bessemer Municipal Airport on Mitchell Field Road. According to police and fire officials, the pilot was the lone occupant of the fixed wing aircraft.  He was trying to land when there was an issue with the plane’s landing gear. The pilot ended up crashing off the runway. He had to be extricated from the wreckage and suffered a compound ankle fracture.

The 52-year-old pilot has been taken to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center in Birmingham. “He was conscious and talking,’' said Bessemer police Lt. Christian Clemons.

Authorities said the plane was heavily damaged in the crash.


BESSEMER, Alabama  —  A pilot was injured when a small plane made a rough landing in Bessemer today.

The Bessemer Fire Department says crews responded to the Bessemer Municipal Airport this afternoon, and found the wreckage of the plane on or near a runway.

We're told the plane may have experienced some form of landing problem, when the pilot tried to land.

The pilot was the only person in the plane and was to be airlifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

The injuries could be serious.

3 comments:

  1. possible N93638 BL17 Bessemer (KEKY) depart 15:32 CDT arrival 16:02 CDT (?)

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  2. Looks like the pilot took off and immediately realized that he had a gear retraction/extension problem. Circled the airport for a while trying to sort it out, but was unsuccessful. Legacy airplanes with retractable gear require knowledgeable maintenance which can be hard to find. Glad that the pilot survived the crash.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pilots need to be made aware the safest place for a gear up landing is on a paved runway

    ReplyDelete