Bell EAA BIPLANE P N145DB

Summary

On 2 October 1996 at about 22:15 local time, a Bell EAA BIPLANE P registered N145DB was involved in an accident near Manzanola, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 October 1996 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Manzanola, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Ghilarducci Farm (NONE)

Coordinates

38.1001, -103.8600

Aircraft

Bell EAA BIPLANE P

Registration

N145DB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97FA002

1 person died.

failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance above the terrain, while performing a low altitude maneuver. A factor relating to the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with this make and model of aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses said the biplane flew over the farm airstrip at an estimated altitude of 300 to 400 feet. One witness stated that the pilot started 'what appeared to be an aileron roll, but stopped halfway and peeled off to the left in a shallow dive but didn't have enough altitude to pull out.' Another witness said that the pilot 'began rolling the aircraft right wing down about 3/4 of a roll then the front of the plane dropped' and disappeared from his view. The biplane struck the ground about 350 feet south of runway 27 on a westerly heading. Ground scars from impact were found over a 150 foot area. An investigation disclosed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure of the airframe, flight controls, engine, or propeller. The 739-hour pilot had recently graduated from an aerial application school and was employed as a first season aerial applicator. He had previously flown the biplane three times and had an estimated 3.0 hours of flight time in this make/model of aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.