- Date
- September 14, 1986, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Woodbine, MD
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N53899Bellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 3, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11215
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses observed the aircraft nose over into a dive after the glider it had been towing released. They then saw it roll and during the roll the left wing departed the aircraft. The CFI in the glider had observed the pilot of N53899 perform what appeared to be a snap roll on the flight prior to the accident. Although he did not see the aircraft after he released from N53899, both he and his student heard engine noises similiar to the noises they had heard on the prior flight when they observed the roll maneuver. Repeated detailed examinations of the separated wing did not reveal any pre-existing failure areas.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53899
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 191-76
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aviation Consumer Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 27, 1985
- Airport
- Woodbine
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,292 total · 115 in this make and model · 3,195 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 24 nm away
Other investigations on N53899 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.