- Date
- July 12, 1993, 15:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Berlin, MD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N88189Bellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930712023099A
- Case key
- 11875
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during pullup from an attempted banner pickup, which resulted in a stall.
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
The pilot took off on a local banner tow flight. After takeoff, he deployed the banner pickup hook and maneuvered the airplane for a banner pickup. According to a witness (who was also a tow pilot), the airplane was slower than normal at the pickup point, and the banner hook missed the tow cable. The witness stated that the pilot made a steeper than normal pullup, then the airplane began a stall/spin. The airplane impacted in a soy bean field beside the runway and burned. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found, but the airplane was extensively damaged by impact and fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88189
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 89-74
- Airframe hours
- 2,796
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Ocean Aerial Ads, Inc
- Registered owner
- Ocean Aerial Ads, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 1993 · 43 hours before
- Airport
- Bunting Airfield, runway 33, 3,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.