- Date
- May 1, 1988, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Merrimac, WI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N31288Bellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880501011099A
- Case key
- 13942
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
The pilot had just taken off from a private strip and immediately entered a high angle of bank turn to the left at low altitude. A witness, who was an experienced aerobatic pilot, estimated the angle of bank to approach 90 degrees. The nose was seen to pitch down, and the airplane disappeared below the tree line. Impact was in a farmer's field one-quarter mile from the departure end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31288
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 889-73
- Airframe hours
- 2,913
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Waterloo Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Waterloo Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1988 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- C29 · Middleton, WI
- Airport
- NONE · Private Strip, runway 9, 2,100 × 50 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,048 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSN, 19 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.