What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Control problems during aerobatics. Elevators jammed. Impact short of runway. Shoulder harness buckle jammed elvator (-23) on 01/15/97, Bellanca model 8KCAB, N5062P, crashed short of the runway during an attempted emergency landing at laporte municipal airport, laporte, Texas. Pilot notified the operator by radio that he had lost all control of the elevator and elevator trim, but could control pitch and altitude with power. The aircraft landed short of the airport, on a highway, bounced, went through the airport perimeter fence, impacted a fire hydrant, coming to rest approximately 1/4 mile short of the runway, during the investigation a metal buckle was found lodged between a fuselage longeron and the elevator bell crank, jamming the control. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot suffered minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
CONTROL PROBLEMS DURING AEROBATICS. ELEVATORS JAMMED. IMPACT SHORT OF RUNWAY.SHOULDER HARNESS BUCKLE JAMMED ELVATOR (-23) ON 01/15/97, BELLANCA MODEL 8KCAB, N5062P, CRASHED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY DURING AN ATTEMPTED EMERGENCY LANDING AT LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LAPORTE, TEXAS. PILOT NOTIFIED THE OPERATOR BY RADIO THAT HE HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TRIM, BUT COULD CONTROL PITCH AND ALTITUDE WITH POWER. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT, ON A HIGHWAY, BOUNCED, WENT THROUGH THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, IMPACTED A FIRE HYDRANT, COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, DURING THE INVESTIGATION A METAL BUCKLE WAS FOUND LODGED BETWEEN A FUSELAGE LONGERON AND THE ELEVATOR BELL CRANK, JAMMING THE CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.