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| Date: | Saturday 18 June 1983 |
| Time: | 18:30 |
| Type: |  Bensen B8M |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N7045 |
| MSN: | 4711 |
| Engine model: | Continental A&C 75 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Santa Maria, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Santa Maria, CA (0CR1) |
| Santa Maria, CA (0CR1) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE GRYOPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO DEPART FROM CONTROLLED FLT AT OR BELOW 800 FT AGL & THE PLT BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. BOTH IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT ABOUT 40 FT APART. THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT WAS 0.13%. THE CLASP ENDS OF THE SEAT BELT STRAPS WERE OPEN. BOTH WEBBINGS OF THE TWO STRAPS WERE IMPREGNATED WITH GREASE & FOREIGNMATERIAL. THE METAL CLASP 'GRIPS' WERE ROUNDED OFF & THE GROOVES BETWEEN THEM CONTAINED FOREIGN MATERIAL. THE LEFT STRAPSTICHING ON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE STRAP WAS WORN & DETERIORATED ALONG A LENGTH OF 6 INCHES IN THE AREA WHERE THE METAL CLASP WOULD NORMALLY BE CLASPED WHEN AROUND AN OCCUPANT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELTS WERE CLASPED TOGETHER & SEVERAL HARD TUGS WITH ONE HAND WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE SEAT BELT TO COME OPEN. THIS PROCEDURE WAS TESTED SIX TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. CAUSE:
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001214X43431
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
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