CEN15LA242

NTSB accident investigation · Bellanca 8KCAB · Superior, WI · May 27, 2015

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

Object/animal/substance: debris/dirt/foreign objectEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipmentAll aircraft: 101 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: lateral/bank controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possibleAll aircraft: 390 casesProbable cause

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.