- Date
- November 4, 1990, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Buckland, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5039KBellanca 8KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901104048489A
- Case key
- 36839
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's failure to execute an aerobatic maneuver at an altitude sufficient to clear the stand of trees.
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 of N5039K was asked to perform aerobatic maneuvers for a birthday party. He departed from a nearby airport and flew over the area where the party was being held. Witnesses said he approached from the south at an altitude of approximately 50 feet and rolled the airplane to an inverted attitude. During the low altitude roll, the airplane struck a stand of trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5039K
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 491-79
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard S. Russell, doing business as Unusual Attitudes Inc
- Departed
- BAF · Westfield, MA
- Airport
- BAF · Barnes
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.