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| Date: | Saturday 26 January 1991 |
| Time: | 17:25 LT |
| Type: |  Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking 300A |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4035B |
| MSN: | 74-30720 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1509 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-520-K |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Olton, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Olton, TX (TS42) |
| Plainview, TX (KPVW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PILOT/MECHANIC HAD JUST COMPLETED AN ANNUAL 100 HOUR INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, A BELLANCA 17 30A SUPER VIKING, AND THIS WAS TO BE A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT PRIOR TO DELIVERY TO ITS OWNER, HIS BROTHER. ONE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE MOMENTARILY IN A SLIGHT CLIMB AT ABOUT 1500 FEET AGL. WHEN HE SAW THE AIRPLANE AGAIN, IT WAS ABOUT 500 FEET AGL IN A NEAR VERTICAL DIVE. TWO SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT, THE RIGHT WING FOLDED BACK BUT DID NOT SEPARATE. HIS IMPRESSION WAS THE PILOT HAD DONE A SPLIT S OR WING OVER. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 15 DEGREES PAST VERTICAL WITH THE RIGHT WING SHEARED OFF. THE PILOT, A FORMER AERIAL APPLICATOR, HAD BUILT AND REPORTEDLY PERFORMED AEROBATICS IN A PITTS S 2S SPECIAL.
Probable Cause: THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRFRAME AND THE PERFORMANCE OF AEROBATICS AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT FOR RECOVERY.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN91FA037
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 21-Apr-2024 08:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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