- Date
- January 13, 1994, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colo. Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2974WBellanca 8KCAB-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940113000309A
- Case key
- 18987
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
An inadvertent stall during initial climb following takeoff. A factor was failure by the pilot to maintain directional control.
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
During takeoff roll, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway and then became airborne. After the loss of directional control, the airplane pitched up and rolled left followed by an impact on the left wing and nose in the airport infield.
Factual narrative
On January 13, 1994, at 1200 mountain standard time, a Bellanca 8KCAB-180, N2974W, was destroyed when it impacted the ground at the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Airport, following takeoff. The pilot received minor injuries, his passenger no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for this local area personal flight.
According to the pilot, aircraft acceleration during the takeoff roll appeared to be normal and some right rudder was required to track the centerline.
The pilot reported the following in the enclosed report:
"After the tail came up and the main wheels had just lifted off the airplane began to slip rather rapidly to the left. I attempted to correct with right rudder but was not able to stop the drift as my attention was diverted by the VASI lights which we were headed towards. I raised the nose slightly to clear the light structures. At this point the airplane was traveling at an angle of about 45 degrees to the runway with the nose only slightly up."
"I was about to began a gentle turn to the right to parallel the runway and continue the takeoff when suddenly the nose pitched up then dropped as the airplane banked left. This surprised me as I had not commanded the pitch up. The airplane descended in a left bank from about 50 feet and impacted on the left wing tip and nose."
According to the attached incident reports supplied by the Colorado Springs Police Department, and the Colorado Springs Department of Transportation, Aviation Division, the aircraft began to track left during the takeoff roll and departed the side of the runway prior to becoming airborne. Enclosed reports supplied by the above, indicate that the aircraft was airborne for a distance of 231 feet parallel to the runway and 264 feet at a 90 degree angle to the runway. Both reports provide information that the aircraft impacted on the nose and left wing, and began to burn at impact.
The wind reported by Colorado Springs Tower at the time of the accident was 190 degrees at 8 knots, which was calculated to be a 3 knot 90 degree cross wind component.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2974W
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 617-80
- Airframe hours
- 487
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aerotech Flight Services, doing business as The Aerolease Company
- Registered owner
- Debalco Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 24, 1993
- Airport
- COS · Colorado Springs, runway 17R, 11,021 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 8 in this make and model · 111 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.