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19970918027189A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7KCAB · Oakridge, OR · September 18, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 18, 1997 · 16:20 local
Place
Oakridge, OR
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8509
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA97LA212
Reported as
Bbavia 7KCAB
Reported engine
Lycoming IO320B2A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 total115 in the last 90 days
N8509Registration cancelled Jan 19, 2000 · Bellanca 7KCABS/N 348-73Airframe modelBellanca 7KCAB

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.

Flying low 10-15 ft above the water, over Oakridge lake when it rolled and struck trees. Destroyed. Other circumsta (.4)the first pilot (commercial pilot and CFI) invited the second pilot (private pilot) to fly with him on a personal flight in a tandem-seated aerobatic airplane. The first pilot sat in the rear seat behind the second pilot. During the flight, the airplane was observed to fly about 10 feet above a lake. The airplane was then observed to begin a climb over a dam and perform a barrel roll about 100 feet above the dam. During the maneuver, the airplane descended into tall trees that were located on a hillside near the lower, dry section of the dam. The engine was operating under power at the time of impact. An examination of the wreckage and the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. An investigation revealed that the first pilot had a recent history of performing low altitude aerobatic maneuvers. He also had a recent history of performing the maneuvers himself when he took passengers or other pilots with him. No evidence was found was found in the autopsies to indicate that anyone other than the first pilot was manipulating the controls at impact.

As the FAA filed it

FLYING LOW 10-15 FT ABOVE THE WATER, OVER OAKRIDGE LAKE WHEN IT ROLLED AND STRUCK TREES. DESTROYED. OTHER CIRCUMSTA (.4)THE FIRST PILOT (COMMERCIAL PILOT AND CFI) INVITED THE SECOND PILOT (PRIVATE PILOT) TO FLY WITH HIM ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT IN A TANDEM-SEATED AEROBATIC AIRPLANE. THE FIRST PILOT SAT IN THE REAR SEAT BEHIND THE SECOND PILOT. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO FLY ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE A LAKE. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED TO BEGIN A CLIMB OVER A DAM AND PERFORM A BARREL ROLL ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE DAM. DURING THE MANEUVER, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO TALL TREES THAT WERE LOCATED ON A HILLSIDE NEAR THE LOWER, DRY SECTION OF THE DAM. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AND THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FIRST PILOT HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF PERFORMING LOW ALTITUDE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. HE ALSO HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF PERFORMING THE MANEUVERS HIMSELF WHEN HE TOOK PASSENGERS OR OTHER PILOTS WITH HIM. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND WAS FOUND IN THE AUTOPSIES TO INDICATE THAT ANYONE OTHER THAN THE FIRST PILOT WAS MANIPULATING THE CONTROLS AT IMPACT.

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 SEA97LA212Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportOakridge, ORThe first pilot's decision to perform a low altitude maneuver, and his subsequent failure to maintain altitude and clearance from trees during a low altitude maneuver.Sep 18, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N8509 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19790729027889ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Lawton, OKLeft landing gear attach bolts broke during landing roll. Acft had made repeated landings on the rough field..Jul 29, 1979 · Substantial damage