Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oswego, Illinois 60543
Tuesady, September 20, 1988 18:25 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DRG AEROBATICS, THE ACFT WENT IN A DIVE, GAINED SPEED, LEVELED OFF & PULLED UP ABRUPTLY. DRG THE PULL-UP, THE RGT WING FAILED UPWARD & SEPD FM THE ACFT. THE ACFT THEN WENT OUT OF CTL & CRASHED. THE PLT WAS WEARING A PARACHUTE, BUT DID NOT BAIL-OUT; HE WAS FOUND STRAPPED IN HIS SEAT & THE DOOR RLS PIN WAS STILL IN PLACE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF UPWARD BENDING OF THE LEFT WING; BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS HAD EVIDENCE OF BEING COMPROMISED IN A DWNWRD DRCTN. AN EXAM OF THE PLT'S SEAT REVEALED THE TUBULAR ENDS OF THE SEAT-BACK FRAME HAD FAILED AT THE PIVOT POINTS (PVT PTS), WHERE THE SEAT-BACK WAS DESIGNED TO PIVOT FWD OVR THE SEAT PAN TO ALLOW ENTRY TO THE AFT SEAT. ATTACHING BOLTS AT THE PVT PTS HAD PULLED THRU THE ENDS OF THE FRAME. EVIDENCE OF OVERSTRESS SHEAR WAS FND AT THE RGT PVT PT AS IF THE SEAT-BACK HAD FAILED AFT. EVIDENCE OF OVERSTRESS SHEAR & TWISTING DEFORMATION WAS FND AT THE LEFT PVT PT. BELLANCA 7 & 8 SERIES ACFT HAVE HAD SVRL SEATBACK FAILURES AT THE HINGE POINT OR AT THE WELDED JUNCTION OF THE SEAT'S LOWER SIDE TUBE & SEATBACK SIDE BRACE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE DESIGN INTHE MANUFACTURE OF THE PILOT'S SEAT WHICH FAILED DURING INTENTIONAL AEROBATIC MANEUVERS FOR WHICH THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE SEAT WERE INTENDED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1825 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | OSWEGO |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60543 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1745 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 758 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 2251 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 20 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39997 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N50702 |
| NTSB Number | CHI88FA240 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELLANCA |
| Aircraft Model | 8KCAB |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 8KCAB |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 616-80 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 29 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 117 |
| Airframe Hours | 1343 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEWIS, RICHARD A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8025 WOODGLEN ROAD APT. 509 |
| Aircraft Owner City | DOWNERS GROVE |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60516 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LEWIS, RICHARD A. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8025 WOODGLEN ROAD, APT. 509 |
| Operator City | DOWNERS GROVE |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60516 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 1C5 |
| Departure City | PLAINFIELD |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| 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 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |