# Accident 19980501014959A: Blanca 1730A, Brewton, AL, May 1, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 1, 1998, 12:30 local time
- Place: Brewton, AL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.1107° N, 87.0703° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1107&lon=-87.0703&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6645V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6645V) (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 IO520*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 402 total, 95 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980501014959A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER UNABLE PROP SPEED CONTROL. HIT FENCE LANDING. LEFT WING SHEARED. CRANKSHAFT BROKE. IMPROPER TOH TORQUE. (.4) ON MAY 1, 1998, AT 1230 CST A BELLANCA BL-17-30A, N6645V, LOST ENGINE POWER AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR BREWTON, ALABAMA.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER COLLIDING WITH A FENCE DURING THE LANDING ROLL.  TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING HAD SPUN, THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BROKEN AT THE NUMBER 3 CHEEK, AND THE CRANKCASE EXHIBITED FRETTING AT THE CASE MATING SURFACES, CONSISTENT WITH IMPROPER THROUGHBOLT TORQUE.  THE ENGINE HAD UNDERGONE A TOP OVERHAUL 197.4 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT.              (-23) PILOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ENGINE RESPONDED TO POWER INPUT BUT PROPELLER WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO PROPELLER CONTROL  AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAINTAIN FLIGHT AND PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY LANDING IN OPEN FIELD. AIRCRAFT STRUCK SURROUNDING FENCE AND FENCE POST CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS.  THE LEFT WING SHEARED APPROXIMATELY HALF THE DISTANCE FROM FUSELAGE TO WINGTIP, RIGHT WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO LOWER SURFACE AREA

## 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 ATL98LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA070), May 1, 1998: Bellanca BL-17-30A (N6645V), Brewton, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Improper maintenance procedures used to overhaul the engine, which led to the crankshaft failure. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the fence.

## Other reports on N6645V (1)

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

- [Incident 19950223005319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950223005319I), Feb 23, 1995: Blanca 1730A (N6645V), Chickasha, OK, Minor damage. Narrative: pilot stated that it was dusk and he could tell there was barely enough light to see runway. R/h gear hit a fence post at south end of runway may…

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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