# NTSB CHI01LA313: Gelasi Aircamper, N7172B, Bloomfield, WI, September 3, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 3, 2001, 14:48 local (19:48 UTC) - Place: Bloomfield, WI - Location: 42.5400° N, 88.3680° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bloomfield, WI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5400&lon=-88.3680&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report April 1, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 53469 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI01LA313 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53469/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA313 ## Probable cause Aircraft control not possible due to the inadvertent control interference by the front seat passenger. Factors to the accident were the restricted control stick movement and the encountered stall. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - flt control syst,yoke/control stick - movement restricted (contributing factor) - control interference - inadvertent, passenger (cause) - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - encountered, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis During the initial climb after takeoff the airplane began to sink rapidly and the pilot lowered the nose of the airplane in order gain some additional airspeed. The pilot reported that he cleared two groupings of trees and, "...knew enough to keep the plane from banking or yawing to eliminate the chance of a stall, however at this point I think my passenger in the front seat decided to turn around & see what I was doing. I think his [right] leg pushed the stick over & the plane went into a left bank. All my efforts to right the stick would not do it [and] being too close to the ground I could not recover control before we struck the ground... ." The pilot stated that witnesses to the accident saw the airplane clear the second row of trees, yaw to the left, and then bank to the left. The pilot reported that when the airplane banked to the left, "... caused us to lose what lift we had." A written request for a passenger statement was made, and as of the date of this report no response was received. ## Factual narrative On September 3, 2001, at 1448 central daylight time, a Gelasi Aircamper, N7172B, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain following a loss of control during initial climb after takeoff. The aircraft had departed runway 27 (1,775 feet by 130 feet, dry/turf) at the Vincent Airport, near the town of Bloomfield, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his single passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of Palmyra, Wisconsin. According to the pilot's written statement, during the initial climb after takeoff the airplane began to sink rapidly and the pilot lowered the nose of the airplane in order gain some additional airspeed. The pilot reported that he cleared a fence and a line of trees that border the airport area. The pilot stated that there was a second line of trees and he started a shallow climb to clear the trees. The pilot reported, "I just barely cleared these and knew enough to keep the plane from banking or yawing to eliminate the chance of a stall, however at this point I think my passenger in the front seat decided to turn around & see what I was doing. I think his [right] leg pushed the stick over & the plane went into a left bank. All my effort to right the stick would not do it & being too close to the ground I could not recover control before we struck the ground... ." The pilot stated that witnesses to the accident saw the airplane clear the second row of trees, yaw to the left, and then bank to the left. The pilot reported the left bank, "... caused us to loose what lift we had." A written request for a passenger statement was made, and as of the date of this report no response was received. Delivery confirmation of the request is attached to this report. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7172B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7172B-2002-01-11), registration cancelled 2002-01-11, S/N 1188, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Gelasi Aircamper - Registry model: [Gelasi John J AIRCAMPER](https://openairdocs.org/model/gelasi-john-j-aircamper) (registry code 704031Q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1188 - Airframe hours: 250 - Engines: Continental A-75-8 75 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John Joseph Gelasi - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, July 14, 2001, 20 hours before - Departed: 64C, Bloomfield, WI - Destination: 88C, Palmyra, WI - Airport: 64C, Vincent Airport, runway 27, 1,775 × 130 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 75; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 17, 2001; seat: rear; flight hours: 1,386 total, 238 in this make and model, 1,296 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 12 knots, gusting 16 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 29.80 inHg - Observed at: BUU, 10 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010903026519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010903026519A), Sep 3, 2001: Amtr AIRCAMPER, Genoa City, WI, No damage. (-23) On September 3, 2001 at 1410 CDT, a pietenpol Aircamper, N7172B, operated by john j. gelasi impacted the terrain shortly after takeoff from runway 27, at… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.