Bellanca 8KCAB N5062P

Summary

On 15 January 1997 at about 21:10 local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB registered N5062P, operated by Debby Rihn, was involved in an accident near Laporte, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 January 1997 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Laporte, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Laporte Municipal (T41)

Coordinates

29.6591, -95.0397

Aircraft

Bellanca 8KCAB

Registration

N5062P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Debby Rihn

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA083

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's diminished ability to maintain control of the airplane due to a jammed elevator control as result of inadequate maintenance procedures by the operator's mechanic.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot encountered pitch control problems after completing approximately 30 minutes of aerobatics. The pilot contacted the operator on Unicom and advised them that the airplane was experiencing elevator control problems. He reported his position as 10 miles southeast of the airport and advised the traffic that he was proceeding straight in to runway 30. The operator stated that the pilot was unable to move the elevator or the elevator trim, but managed to control the airplane's pitch and altitude with power. After clearing trees near the airport, the airplane touched down short of the airport, bounced, went through the airport's perimeter fence, impacted a fire hydrant and skidded to a stop approximately 1/4 mile short of the threshold for runway 30. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector and the operator revealed that a chromed adjustment buckle of the type normally utilized for the shoulder harness straps was blocking the movement of the elevator control tube at the elevator bellcrank. A review of the airplane records revealed that the shoulder harnesses were replaced by a mechanic approximately 90 flight hours prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.