19970719018959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 8GCBC · Bunnell, FL · July 19, 1997

Date: July 19, 1997 · 12:22 local
Place: Bunnell, FL
Airport: Flagler County Airport
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4138Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL97LA106
Reported as: Bbavia 8GCBC
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 675 in the last 90 days

N4138YRegistration cancelled Nov 7, 2006 · Bellanca 8GCBCS/N 235-76 · Built 1976 Airframe modelBellanca 8GCBC Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was picking up a banner when it stalled, crashed and burned. (.4)while attempting to pick up a banner for towing operations, the airplane stalled and subsequently collided with the ground. The pilot stated that after picking up the banner, he was looking outside the airplane and not at the instrument panel, when the stall occurred, not knowing he was at minimum airspeed. He stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Witnesses stated that the aircraft stalled as soon as it hooked the banner. (-23) pilot was picking up a banner - cable was caught on the hook & came off the ground along with the first two letters of the banner. Right wing dropped then the left one followed by a rocking of the wings. The airplane nose was at a high attitude and was not lowered. The airplane then impacted the ground.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS PICKING UP A BANNER WHEN IT STALLED, CRASHED AND BURNED. (.4)WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP A BANNER FOR TOWING OPERATIONS, THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER PICKING UP THE BANNER, HE WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE AND NOT AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHEN THE STALL OCCURRED, NOT KNOWING HE WAS AT MINIMUM AIRSPEED. HE STATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AS SOON AS IT HOOKED THE BANNER. (-23) PILOT WAS PICKING UP A BANNER - CABLE WAS CAUGHT ON THE HOOK & CAME OFF THE GROUND ALONG WITH THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF THE BANNER. RIGHT WING DROPPED THEN THE LEFT ONE FOLLOWED BY A ROCKING OF THE WINGS. THE AIRPLANE NOSE WAS AT A HIGH ATTITUDE AND WAS NOT LOWERED. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL97LA106Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBunnell, FLthe pilot's failure to ensure the airplane had adequate airspeed for banner pickup/towing operations, which resulted in a stall/mush and subsequent contact with the terrain.Jul 19, 1997 · Substantial damage