Bellanca 8-KCAB N8670V

Summary

On 2 September 1994 at about 21:05 local time, a Bellanca 8-KCAB registered N8670V was involved in an accident near Chatsworth, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 1994 at 21:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Chatsworth, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bellanca 8-KCAB

Registration

N8670V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Mount Holly

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC94FA165

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate preflight that failed to detect water- contaminated fuel which resulted in the loss of engine power and the pilot's decision to conduct flight at an altitude too low to initiate emergency procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN HANGARED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS UNUSED. ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND REHANGARED IT. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN THE HANGAR FOR THE NEXT WEEK. THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT WASHED THE AIRPLANE AND REHANGARED IT. THAT AFTERNOON THE PILOT REMOVED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE HANGAR AND DEPARTED THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. PERSONNEL AT THE AIRSTRIP COULD NOT CONFIRM IF A PREFLIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED OR FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PERFORM INSIDE LOOPS OVER THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, RECOVERING AT TREE TOP LEVEL. WHEN THE AIRPLANE REACHED INVERTED FLIGHT DURING THE THIRD LOOP, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND WAS CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS INTACT FROM THE HEADER TANK TO THE INJECTOR NOZZLES. WATER WAS FOUND THROUGH OUT THE FUEL SYSTEM. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE NOTED IN THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.