- Date
- July 21, 1985, 12:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fall River, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5504BBellanca 8KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850721032729A
- Case key
- 35573
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Witnesses observed the acft execute an aerial pick up of the aerial advertising banner & climb very steeply away from the ground. Normal eng sounds were reported by the witnesses. The acft was observed to climb to an alt of approx 150 ft, nearly come to a stop, roll lt, then rt & crash to the ground. The plt was not listed on the holder's certificate of waiver issured by the FAA for banner towing. One witness stated that the banner was still attached to the acft as it dove to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5504B
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421-78
- Airframe hours
- 533
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-320-E1B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter Dionne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 27, 1985
- Airport
- FLR · Fall River Muni., runway 6, 3,950 × 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
- 61
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,798 total · 65 in this make and model · 160 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.