Bunting Airfield Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Berlin, Maryland 21811
Monday, July 12, 1993 15:40 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL BANNER TOW FLIGHT. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE DEPLOYED THE BANNER PICKUP HOOK AND MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE FOR A BANNER PICKUP. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS (WHO WAS ALSO A TOW PILOT), THE AIRPLANE WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL AT THE PICKUP POINT, AND THE BANNER HOOK MISSED THE TOW CABLE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT MADE A STEEPER THAN NORMAL PULLUP, THEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A STALL/SPIN. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A SOY BEAN FIELD BESIDE THE RUNWAY AND BURNED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT AND FIRE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING PULLUP FROM AN ATTEMPTED BANNER PICKUP, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/12/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1540
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BERLIN
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 21811
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BUNTING AIRFIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 10
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1455 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID SBY
Elevation of weather observation facility 52
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 10000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 34
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 737
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 12 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1550
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50678
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N88189
NTSB Number BFO93FA119
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELLANCA
Aircraft Model 8GCBC
Aircraft Series Identifier 8GCBC
Aircraft Serial Number 89-74
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 2 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 43
Airframe Hours 2796
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name OCEAN AERIAL ADS, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 813
Aircraft Owner City OCEAN CITY
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 21842
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name OCEAN AERIAL ADS, INC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O.BOX 813
Operator City OCEAN CITY
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 21842
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1535
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 33
Runway Length 3000
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --