20240704008739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bellanca 8GCBC · Frankford, DE · July 4, 2024

Date: July 4, 2024 · 16:00 local
Place: Frankford, DE
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: OLUJ
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N749SK
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA24LA299
Reported as: Bellanca 8GCBC
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 407 total101 in this make and model129 in the last 90 days

N749SKRegistered now · Bellanca 8GCBCS/N 127-75 · Built 1974 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.

Single airman was conducting banner tow opeations and was returning back to base, located at bunting's field (4MD1). The airman started to lose rpm's and could not maintain altitude of 1200' with mixture and throttle full. As the aircraft continued to descend, and once clear of the population, the airman dropped the banner at 500', and then intitiated emergency procedures. At this time the airman experienced intense engine roughness and complete engine failure. Pilot lined up for approach over an empty field and while over the tree line, the engine restarted. The pilot pulled the throttle to idle, tried to slow down and impacted the tree tops. Aircraft then dropped vertically to the ground resting on it's canopy. Damage included left wing separation from aircraft, the right wing spar snapped, bent engine mount tubing, bent firewall, bent forward cockpit tubing and bent propeller.

As the FAA filed it

SINGLE AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING BANNER TOW OPEATIONS AND WAS RETURNING BACK TO BASE, LOCATED AT BUNTING'S FIELD (4MD1). THE AIRMAN STARTED TO LOSE RPM'S AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OF 1200' WITH MIXTURE AND THROTTLE FULL. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND, AND ONCE CLEAR OF THE POPULATION, THE AIRMAN DROPPED THE BANNER AT 500', AND THEN INTITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. AT THIS TIME THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED INTENSE ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT LINED UP FOR APPROACH OVER AN EMPTY FIELD AND WHILE OVER THE TREE LINE, THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE PILOT PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE, TRIED TO SLOW DOWN AND IMPACTED THE TREE TOPS. AIRCRAFT THEN DROPPED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND RESTING ON IT'S CANOPY. DAMAGE INCLUDED LEFT WING SEPARATION FROM AIRCRAFT, THE RIGHT WING SPAR SNAPPED, BENT ENGINE MOUNT TUBING, BENT FIREWALL, BENT FORWARD COCKPIT TUBING AND BENT PROPELLER.

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 ERA24LA299Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFrankford, DEA partial loss of engine power resulting from cylinder detonation and a cracked spark plug, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.Jul 4, 2024 · Substantial damage