Bellanca Aircraft Corporation 7ECA accident near Freeport, FL
On August 20, 2005, a Bellanca Aircraft Corporation 7ECA (airplane) was involved in an accident near Freeport, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 20, 2005
- Place
- Freeport, FL
- Aircraft
- Bellanca Aircraft Corporation 7ECA · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.506°N, 86.105°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050829X01320
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 20, 2005, about 1648 central daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N90914, registered to a private individual, experienced an in-flight loss of control and crashed shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip named Dugger Field Airport, Freeport, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal, local, flight from the private airstrip. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the occurrence. According to the pilot's wife (a rated pilot), who was at the airstrip at the time of the accident, she saw the airplane become airborne at approximately the 3,000 foot remaining marker, and the climb-out initially appeared normal. Trees obscured her view of a turn to the west; however, she observed the airplane heading westbound in a nose-up climbing attitude. She then observed a shallow turn towards the south, followed by a "steep nose down descent. At this point visual contact was lost below the tree line." She further reported she did not see any smoke trailing the airplane, nor did she hear any "unusual loud noises. However, it appeared the airplane was performing sluggishly as it climbed toward the west. As the airplane began turning south she saw a nose down attitude and realized something was wrong." She called 911 and drove to the crash site with the wife of the passenger who was also at the airstrip. After arriving at the crash site they observed the inverted airplane. PERS
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed resulting in inadvertent stall, uncontrolled descent, and in-flight collision with terrain.
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Browse: Florida · Bellanca aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
