- Date
- January 26, 1991, 16:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Olton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4035BBellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910126000989A
- Case key
- 18011
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
The pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the airframe and the performance of aerobatics at an altitude insufficient for recovery.
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/mechanic had just completed an annual 100 hour inspection of the airplane, a Bellanca 17 30A super viking, and this was to be a maintenance test flight prior to delivery to its owner, his brother. One witness saw the airplane momentarily in a slight climb at about 1500 feet AGL. When he saw the airplane again, it was about 500 feet AGL in a near vertical dive. Two seconds before impact, the right wing folded back but did not separate. His impression was the pilot had done a split s or wing over. Another witness saw the airplane about 15 degrees past vertical with the right wing sheared off. The pilot, a former aerial applicator, had built and reportedly performed aerobatics in a pitts s 2S special.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4035B
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 74-30720
- Airframe hours
- 1,509
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- John C. Bozeman
- Registered owner
- John C. Bozeman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1991
- Departed
- TS42 · Olton, TX
- Destination
- PVW · Plainview, TX
- Airport
- TS42 · Del-Tex, runway 18, 2,640 × 60 ft, dirt
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,955 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.