- Date
- March 25, 1989, 12:48 local (17:48 UTC)
- Place
- Daytona Bch Shr, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N90985Bellanca 7KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890325004509A
- Case key
- 32284
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
In-flight loss of control while maneuvering to reverse direction due the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during the 'steep turn.'
Analysis
While flying offshore southbound at an alt of 300-400 ft, the banner towing Bellanca passed to the rt, the last of a flt of four banner towing super cub acft cruising at about 40 mph, placing the acft closer to shore. With a quartering tailwind, the plt initiated a 'very tight' rt turn to return northbound. During the turn, the acft did what was described as a wing over & while descending eastbound with the banner attached, the main gear contacted a wave causing the acft to nose into the water. Examination of the acft & eng revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of either the flt controls or eng. The banner release mechanism was examined & there was no evidence of failure or malfunction. The minimum alt for banner towing other than for pickup's and drop's is 500 ft when authorized by ATC.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90985
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 345-73
- Airframe hours
- 8,534
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Aerial Messages, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aerial Messages, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 22, 1989 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- 34J · New Smyrna Bch., FL
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,019 total · 380 in this make and model · 2,875 as pilot in command · 181 in the last 90 days · 159 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 4 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.
Other investigations on N90985 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.