Bellanca 7KCAB N86705

Summary

On 14 September 2015 at about 20:30 local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB registered N86705, operated by OBX Airplanes LLC, was involved in an accident near Manteo, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 September 2015 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Manteo, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Dare County Rgnl (MQI)

Coordinates

35.9133, -75.7017

Aircraft

Bellanca 7KCAB

Registration

N86705

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

OBX Airplanes LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Banner Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manteo → Manteo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA358

1 person was seriously injured.

The inadvertent lodging of the banner-tow cable between the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer after the pilot threw the grapple hook out the window, which resulted in the loss of pitch control and the airplane’s subsequent impact with water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a banner-tow operation. A witness reported that, after the airplane departed, the pilot threw the grapple hook out the window and that the hook then "whipped" down and then up and that the cable then became lodged between the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot then picked up the banner, and, as the load imparted to the cable by the banner increased, the cable pulled taught until the grappling hook cable became lodged between the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that the elevator then became stuck in the nose-down position, which resulted in her inability to further control the airplane's pitch. The airplane then descended and impacted water left of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed that the banner-tow cable had become lodged between the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. When the cable was removed, control continuity to the flight control surfaces was confirmed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.