# NTSB ERA15FA147: Bellanca 8KCAB, N7698S, Kosciusko, MS, March 8, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: March 8, 2015, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC) - Place: Kosciusko, MS - Coordinates: 33.095554, -89.559997 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0956&lon=-89.5600&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 90831 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA15FA147 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90831/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90831 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA147 ## Probable cause The pilot's decision to make a low pass over a lake near trees and his subsequent failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at a low altitude to avoid trees, which resulted in an inadvertent cross-control aerodynamic stall from which he was unable to recover. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Bellanca 8KCAB, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=1220801), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Bellanca 8KCAB, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=1220801), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Bellanca 8KCAB, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=1220801), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Bellanca 8KCAB, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=1220801), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Bellanca 8KCAB, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=1220801), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis Two witnesses reported observing the airplane fly over a private airstrip that was adjacent to a small lake. One witness said that the airplane initially made a high pass over the airstrip before it turned back at a lower altitude and then "buzzed" over the lake. He said that, when the airplane passed over the lake, the pilot appeared to be having fun and was smiling and that the passenger was waving out the window. The pilot then pulled the airplane straight up, likely to clear a stand of 50-ft-tall pine trees, and the airplane suddenly nosed over and dropped straight down into the ground. The witness said that the engine was operating normally before impact. Another witness, who was a retired airline pilot and an active aerobatic pilot, said that the pilot flew the airplane over the lake on a southwesterly heading. Although he did not recall the airplane's altitude, he could see the pilot in the cockpit when he passed by. The airplane then began a climbing right turn. As the airplane turned through 90 degrees, the left wing dropped. The pilot appeared to try to recover from the "cross-control stall" by lowering the airplane's nose and fully deflecting the rudder control. The airplane's wings leveled out momentarily before the airplane suddenly nosed over. The witness reported hearing the engine power go to full throttle before the airplane impacted the ground. He added that the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to recover and that it did not spin before it hit the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane, the witness accounts, and a review of postrecovery photographs of the engine and propeller revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that, during the low altitude flyby, the pilot inadvertently entered an aerodynamic stall while trying to avoid trees and did not have sufficient altitude to recover. ## Factual narrative The Bellanca Decathlon KCAB is a two-seat, fixed-gear airplane that was designed for flight training and personal use and is capable of sustaining aerobatic stresses between +6g and -5g. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on April 27, 2014, at a total time of 1,775.0 hours. On March 8, 2015, around 1650 central daylight time, N7698S, a Bellanca Decathlon 8KCAB, single-engine airplane, impacted terrain shortly after it made a low pass over a small private lake near Kosciusko, Mississippi. The private pilot and the pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that departed the Kosciusko-Attala County Airport (OSX) at an undetermined time and was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Several witnesses observed the airplane flying over a private airstrip that was adjacent to a small lake. The witnesses were on the beach of the lake and the pilot knew the landowner. According to one witness, he said the airplane initially made a high pass over the airstrip. The airplane then returned, but this time it was a lot lower and it "buzzed" the lake. The pilot pulled the airplane straight up to clear a stand of 50-foot–tall pine trees, when it suddenly nosed over and dropped straight down into the ground on the opposite side of the tree line. The witness said the airplane and engine were operating normally and the pilot was "just having fun." When the airplane passed over the lake, the pilot was grinning from "ear to ear" and the passenger was waving out of the window. The witness said it wasn't windy or raining at the time of the accident. Another witness was a retired airline pilot and active aerobatic pilot on the airshow circuit. He owned the land the airplane had flown over and knew the pilot well. The witness said the pilot flew over the lake on a south-westerly heading but did not recall the airplane's altitude. He could see the pilot in the cockpit and he was smiling. The airplane then began a climbing right turn. As the airplane turned through 90-degrees, the left wing dropped. The witness said the pilot tried to recover from the "cross-control stall", by lowering the nose of the airplane and making a full deflection of the rudder control. The airplane leveled out momentarily before it suddenly nosed-over. At the same time, the witness heard the engine power go to full throttle before it impacted the ground. The witness said the airplane did not have the altitude to recover and did not spin before it hit the ground. Toxicological testing was completed on both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger by the FAA's Toxicological laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot tested negative for all items tested. The pilot rated passenger tested positive for Diphenhydramine, which was detected in his Urine and 0.032 (ug/ml, ug/g)Diphenhydramine was detected in his blood (Cavity). Autopsies were completed on the pilot and pilot rated passenger by the Mississippi Medical State Medical Examiner, Jackson, Mississippi. The cause of death for both the pilot and the pilot rated passenger was blunt force trauma. Weather reported at Greenwood-Leflore Airport (GWO), Greenwood, Mississippi, about 37 miles northwest of the accident site, at 1653, was reported as wind from 010 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain, mist, ceiling 600 overcast, temperature 9 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 7 degrees Celsius, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.24 inches of Hg. The pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Third Class medical was issued on April 21, 2014. At that time, he reported a total of 1,614.5 flight hours, of which, 31.6 hours were in the previous six months. The pilot rated passenger held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA Third Class medical was issued on May 1, 2013. At that time, he reported a total of 136 flight hours, of which, 70 hours were in the previous six months. A postaccident examination of the airplane was conducted the day after the accident. The airplane was pointed nose down with the tail almost vertical in the air. The engine was partially buried in the soft ground about 1-2 feet. Both wings exhibited leading edge impact damage, and the wood spars and ribs were fractured. Flight control continuity was established for the ailerons to the wing root. The cockpit area was crushed. The empennage and tail section were intact. The outboard section of the left horizontal stabilizer exhibited minor damage. Flight control continuity for the elevators and rudder was established to the aft cockpit area. A review of photographs taken of the engine and propeller after of the airplane was recovered revealed no obvious mechanical problems that would have precluded normal operation of the engine. The two-bladed propeller remained attached to the engine and the spinner was twisted and crushed. One blade was bent aft and the second blade was bent aft at the tip. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7698S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7698S-2017-06-26), registration cancelled 2017-06-26, S/N 262-76, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELLANCA 8KCAB - Registry model: [Bellanca 8KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8kcab) (registry code 1220801) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 262-76 - Year built: 1976 - Airframe hours: 1775 - Engines: Lycoming reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Winstead Robert M - Registered owner: Winstead Robert M - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic - Last inspection: Annual, April 22, 2014 - Departed: OSX, Kosciusko, MS - Destination: OSX, Kosciusko, MS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,615 total - Pilot-rated passenger; age 50; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: rear; restraint: 4-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 136 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 5 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: GWO, 37 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 20150308002349A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150308002349A), Mar 8, 2015: Bellanca 8KCAB, Kosciusko, MS, Destroyed, 2 fatal. According to eye witness statements, one saw the aircraft flying over, then fly over again and crashed. The other eye witness stated he saw the aircraft come… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90831. 7.3 MB in all. - Record of Conversation, Randy Henderson (item 1, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428379&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation,%20Randy%20Henderson-Master.PDF - Summary of Interview, Richard Sisney (item 2, .PDF, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428380&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Summary%20of%20Interview,%20Richard%20Sisney-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation, FAA Inspector (item 3, .PDF, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428421&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation,%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Photo 1- View of airplane from rear left side (NTSB) (item 4, .PDF, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428422&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201-%20View%20of%20airplane%20from%20rear%20left%20side%20(NTSB)-Master.PDF - Photo 2- View of airplane from the front (NTSB) (item 5, .PDF, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428423&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202-%20View%20of%20airplane%20from%20the%20front%20(NTSB)-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - View of airplane and engine post recovery (Phoenix Aviation) (item 6, .PDF, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428424&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20View%20of%20airplane%20and%20engine%20post%20recovery%20(Phoenix%20Aviation)-Master.PDF - Photo 4 View of engine and propeller post recovery (Phoenix Aviation) (item 7, .PDF, 174 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428425&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20View%20of%20engine%20and%20propeller%20post%20recovery%20(Phoenix%20Aviation)-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report, Mark Deason (item 8, .PDF, 170 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428426&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report,%20Mark%20Deason-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report, Allen Ross (item 9, .PDF, 170 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428427&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report,%20Allen%20Ross-Master.PDF 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.