Bellanca 8KCAB N5038E

Summary

On 29 May 2023 at about 18:30 local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB registered N5038E was involved in an accident near Larchwood, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

29 May 2023 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Larchwood, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Larchwood-Zangger Vintage Airp (2VA)

Coordinates

43.4500, -96.4032

Aircraft

Bellanca 8KCAB

Registration

N5038E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA205

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passenger stated they were taking off from a paved taxiway at a private airstrip when the airplane pitched up higher than normal and stalled. He recalled that the pilot told him that they were stalling. The airplane descended and impacted the terrain adjacent to the taxiway. Impact signatures were consistent with a low-energy impact indicative of an aerodynamic stall. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies with the airframe, fuel, system, flight controls, or engine that would have resulted in the loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.