Bellanca 8KCAB N31254 accident near Moscow, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot's initiation of a low altitude maneuver followed by an uncontrolled descent into terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed solo from his home airport for a local, personal flight. About 13 minutes later, an eyewitness observed the airplane “vertical going up and nosed over to the right and went straight down…” He heard a “light thud” and realized the airplane had crashed. He reported that the engine “seemed fine, no missing, running strong.” The witness estimated that the pilot was maneuvering at less than 1,000 feet above the ground. The wreckage was found in a nose-low attitude at the edge of a small lake. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure. Propeller signatures were indicative of engine power at impact. The pilot, who was also a captain for a major air cargo operator, had recently acquired the airplane and had logged approximately 13 hours in the aerobatic airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09LA147 for the full record.