- Date
- May 27, 2015, 14:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Superior, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N102ECBellanca 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150527007519A
- Case key
- 91250
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
A stuck aileron due to a battery that had become jammed in the aileron bell crank.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while climbing after a touch-and-go landing, the airplane began an uncommanded left bank. The pilot perceived that the ailerons were jammed and attempted to regain control of the airplane; however, he was not successful, so he performed a forced landing to the airport property. A postaccident examination of the airplane found a 9-volt battery jammed in the aileron bell crank. The pilot reported that the battery was the same brand he used for his headset and that he had changed the batteries in flight several days before the accident flight. It is likely that the pilot dropped the battery during that flight.
Factual narrative
On May 27, 2015, about 1405 central daylight time, a Bellanca 8KCAB airplane, N102EC, experienced a loss of control authority and impacted terrain during a forced landing near the Richard I Bong Airport (SUW), Superior, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan.According to the pilot, the flight was normal until after the second touch and go landing. The airplane was in a climb from the runway when it began an uncommanded left bank. He perceived that the ailerons were jammed and attempted to regain control of the airplane but was not successful. Additionally the pilot could not get the airplane to climb, so when the airplane was about 100 feet above ground level he performed a forced landing to the airport property. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged during the forced landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found a 9-volt battery jammed in the lower right aileron bellcrank. The pilot reported that the battery was the same brand that the he used for his headset. He had previously changed the batteries in flight several days earlier, but thought that he had accounted for all of the batteries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N102EC
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 372-78
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 1,975
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Superior Flying Services
- Registered owner
- Suweet Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2015 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- SUW · Superior, WI
- Destination
- SUW · Superior, WI
- Airport
- SUW · Richard I Bong, runway 32, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 27, 2014
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,073 total · 19 in this make and model · 3,994 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUW
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.