- Date
- November 5, 1992, 15:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Pahrump, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N57644Bellanca 8KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921105047719A
- Case key
- 27856
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 misjudged the pull up altitude.
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 was practicing acrobatic maneuvers. Ground witnesses reported that after completing a series of maneuvers the aircraft entered into a spin. The aircraft recovered from the spin, but the left wing struck the ground. The aircraft exploded on impact and the cabin/cockpit area was incinerated by the post impact fire. The witnesses reported that the engine was producing power throughout the maneuvers. Investigators established continuity of the empennage flight controls to the cabin/cockpit area. The propeller blades displayed evidence of rotation at impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57644
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 125-74
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woods, Elwood
- Registered owner
- Deca Aire, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 28, 1992 · 108 hours before
- Departed
- NV74
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 28 in this make and model · 896 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.