Bellanca 7KCAB accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, April 10, 1999
On April 10, 1999 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, registered N88212, was destroyed in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that all loose items inside the cockpit were secure before attempting aerobatic maneuvers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1999 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N88212 · registry record · serial 475-74
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In the pilot's written statement he said he climbed to 6,000 feet msl to practice aerobatic maneuvers and entered a left upright spin. After two turns, he initiated a forward movement of the stick to recover and found that the stick was jammed in the full aft position. He looked in the rear seat area and discovered that the rear seat back frame had fallen forward, looped over the stick, and was holding it in place. Following unsuccessful attempts to reach the seat back and recover, the pilot abandoned the airplane and parachuted to the ground. According to the pilot, the aircraft continued in the spin until ground impact. Additionally, the pilot said that a safety cable is supposed to hold the rear seat back frame upright during maneuvers to prevent the back from interfering with the rear control stick. The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection he observed that the safety cable was present. After the accident, a flight instructor told the pilot that the cable had been reportedly disconnected from its attach point by maintenance personnel to facilitate access to the aircraft battery and the ELT area behind the rear seat.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 228 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,975 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 16, 1998; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: North Las Vegas Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: VGT at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from VGT, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N88212 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.