Skyhawk Goes Into Bay, Three Onboard Lost

Tim Monville, investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters the pilot of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk that ditched on approach to St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport (PIE) Saturday appeared to line up for approach to the wrong runway before the accident.

WTSP-10 reports in a news conference Sunday, Monville told the media the plane had been cleared to land on runway 22, which is commonly used for general aviation traffic at PIE... but that may not have been where the aircraft was heading.

"The controller observed the aircraft appeared to be lined up to land on runway 27," he said. "The controller questioned the pilot which runway he was lined up for."

In was after that exchange, Monville said, when things started to go wrong.

"A witness reported the pilot banked to the right 90 degrees, rolled to the left 45 degrees, corrected to wing's level altitude, nosed up to a nose up pitch," Monville said. "The witness reported in the witnesses words the airplane stalled and rolled to the left."

The aircraft impacted the water less than 100 yards from runway 22, which lies to the right of the approach end to runway 27. Weather conditions were clear at the time of the accident.

Lost in the accident were pilot Joseph Bellamy, 31, and his parents, Gordon D. Bellamy and Susan C. Bellamy.

The accident aircraft, a Cessna 172L, was registered to a local flying club. The younger Bellamy had been a pilot for 4-5 years, and reportedly flew the plane about once a month.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov