Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure a suitable landing surface.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he was performing a landing in a wheat field. When the pilot began to flare the airplane, the main landing gear became entangled with the tall wheat grass, which resulted in the airplane lurching forward and to the right. The right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. Nine days before the accident, the pilot had marked a 1,000-foot-long landing strip in the field. He stated that the wheat grass had grown considerably since then.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA430 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 9, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Williston, North Dakota
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Bellanca 7KCAB
- N-number
- N8709V
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Business
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.