# Accident 19890929037379A: Blanca 1730A, Palo Alto, CA, September 29, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 29, 1989, 14:53 local time
- Place: Palo Alto, CA
- Airport: Palo Alto Airport-Santa Clara Cou
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.4500° N, 122.0993° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4500&lon=-122.0993&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8272R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8272R-1998-04-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BLANCA 1730A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520K
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,000 total, 10 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89LA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA333) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890929037379A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE LOST POWER ON FINAL. LANDED SHORT IN HARBOR. FUEL CONTAMINATION. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP VANES WORN BY PARTICLES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89LA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA333), Sep 29, 1989: Bellanca 17-30A (N8272R), Palo Alto, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE FUEL STARVATION WAS THE RESULT OF VANE PARTICLES FROM THE DETERIORATED ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP RESTRICTING THE UPSTREAM FLOW OF FUEL.

## Other reports on N8272R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19890519027779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890519027779I), May 19, 1989: Blanca 1730A (N8272R), Palo Alto, CA. Hard landing. Veered off runway. Found left gear strut had collapsed. Crack not visible in normal pre flight.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
