Bellanca 7GCBC N5046N

Summary

On 8 April 2016 at about 20:02 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N5046N, operated by Big Q Aviation, was involved in an accident near Midlothian, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 April 2016 at 20:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Midlothian, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Mid-Way Rgnl (JWY)

Coordinates

32.4528, -96.9133

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N5046N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Big Q Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Midlothian → Midlothian

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16FA145

1 person died.

The flight instructor's inability to move the control stick after takeoff for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and inadvertent aerodynamic stall. The reason for the inability to move the control stick could not be determined, because postaccident examination revealed no evidence of flight control malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was demonstrating a takeoff to the student pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the takeoff, the instructor was flying the airplane and was seated in the rear seat, with the student pilot observing and following along on the flight controls in the front seat. The instructor stated that, as the airplane lifted off the runway, he could not move the control stick. The airplane continued to climb in an increasingly nose-high pitch attitude, and the instructor stated that his efforts to apply forward pressure on the control stick had "no effect." The airplane subsequently experienced an aerodynamic stall and impacted the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and examination of the flight controls found no evidence of interference. While the flight instructor expected the student pilot to follow along on the control stick, it could not be determined if the student interfered with the movement of the controls. With the instructor unable to move the elevator control and reduce the nose-high pitch attitude of the airplane, the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and experienced an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.