Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Berlin, Maryland, July 12, 1993
On July 12, 1993 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N88189, was destroyed in an accident near Berlin, Maryland (Bunting Airfield). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING PULLUP FROM AN ATTEMPTED BANNER PICKUP, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1993 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Berlin, Maryland · Bunting Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N88189 · registry record · serial 89-74
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL BANNER TOW FLIGHT. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE DEPLOYED THE BANNER PICKUP HOOK AND MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE FOR A BANNER PICKUP. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS (WHO WAS ALSO A TOW PILOT), THE AIRPLANE WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL AT THE PICKUP POINT, AND THE BANNER HOOK MISSED THE TOW CABLE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT MADE A STEEPER THAN NORMAL PULLUP, THEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A STALL/SPIN. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A SOY BEAN FIELD BESIDE THE RUNWAY AND BURNED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT AND FIRE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,796 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1993; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Ocean Aerial Ads, INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from SBY, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.