# Accident 19970802020529A: Blanca 1730A, Eagle, MI, August 2, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 2, 1997, 20:45 local time
- Place: Eagle, MI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.8005° N, 84.7896° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8005&lon=-84.7896&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8237R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8237R-2013-05-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BLANCA 1730A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520K
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 448 total, 172 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA241) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970802020529A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A POWERLOSS AND MADE EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD DEPARTED WITH A MAIN FUEL TANK SELECTED TO FEED THE ENGINE.  ONCE THE AIRPLANE GOT ABOVE '4,500 FEET,' THE PILOT SWITCHED TO AN AUXILIARY FUEL TANK.  'FUEL USAGE WAS TIMED USING A COUNTDOWN CLOCK FOR EACH TANK.  APPROACHING LANSING, [MICHIGAN] I REQUESTED AND GOT FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO DETROIT.  A FEW MINUTES LATER, MY FUEL COUNTDOWN CLOCK SIGNALED TIME FOR A FUEL CELL CHANGE.'  THE PILOT SWITCHED TO A FULL TANK.  AT THAT TIME, THE ENGINE LOST POWER.  THE PILOT SWITCHED TO ANOTHER FULL TANK, BUT THE ENGINE WOUND NOT START.  'I TOLD LANSING APPROACH OF MY PROBLEM; THEY GAVE ME THE DIRECTION TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, AND I DID THE BELLANCA VIKING RESTART PROCEDURE.  THE PLANE WOULD NOT RESTART.'  THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND FORCE LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A CORNFIELD.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FIVE FUEL TANKS WAS EMPTY.  THE REMAINING FUEL TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE REVEALED WITH THE AIRPLANE.                                                      (-23) ENGINE FAILURE.  PILOT MISMANAGED FUEL ON HIS AIRPLANE.  NO INJURIES.

## 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 CHI97LA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA241), Aug 2, 1997: Bellanca 17-30A (N8237R), Eagle, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, his decision to switch fuel tanks too late, and fuel starvation.

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.

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