Bellanca 8KCAB accident near Niceville, Florida, August 25, 2000
On August 25, 2000 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, registered N57648, was substantially damaged in an accident near Niceville, Florida (Ruckel Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 pilots failure to drop the advertising banner prior to a precautionary landing resulting in the aircraft stalling and landing hard. Contributing to the accident was the pilots failure to maintain airspeed during climb after banner pickup resulting in the aircraft entered the early stages of a stall, and the pilots failure to recognize the early stages of a stall and initiate recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2000 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Niceville, Florida · Ruckel Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8KCAB · all 8KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N57648 · no longer on the register · serial 126-74
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while climbing after banner pickup, the aircraft began a strange vibration and aileron control seemed sloppy. He turned back to the airport and planned to drop the banner if the problems cleared up. The problems continued and he did not drop the banner. As he approached the runway he applied full engine power in an attempt float in until the banner settled. The float did not occur and the aircraft landed hard. Postcrash examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector and wreckage recovery personnel showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the aircraft flight controls, structure, or engine.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,083 hours in all; 663 in this make and model; 503 in the last 90 days; 165 in the last 30 days; 3,043 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,083 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 12, 2000; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FL17 at 5:43 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from VPS, 5 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.