# Accident 20000713009419A: Blanca 1730A, Houston, TX, July 13, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 13, 2000, 21:40 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Airport: West Houston-Lakeside Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.7705° N, 95.6793° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7705&lon=-95.6793&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8263R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8263R-2001-01-03) (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: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 761 total, 36 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW00FA208](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00FA208) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000713009419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON 7/13/00, APPROX. 2140 CDT, A BELLANCA BL-17-30A (SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE) N8263R, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS) HOUSTON, TX. THE A/C WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. NIGHT VIAUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE CODE 14 OF FEDERAL REGUSLATIONS 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CONROE, TX. AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE A/C WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE, LEAVING VERY FEW COMPONENTS TO ANALYZE IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON JULY 23, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 2140 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLANCA 17-30A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N8263R, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AN D A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CONROE, TEXAS, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE PERSON, WHO WAS MANNING THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT'S UNICOM REPORTED THAT HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ASKING FOR AN "AIRPORT ADVISORY." HE ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH AT 6 KNOTS, AND THE ACTIVE RUNWAY WAS 15, WITH LEFT HAND TRAFFIC. APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT RADIOED, "WEST HOUSTON WE'VE LOST POWER REQUESTING EMERGENCY LANDING." THE UNICOM OPERATOR ASKED FOR THE PILOT TO REPEAT, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT STATED, "I HAVE LOST POWER AND NEED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING." THAT WAS THE LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION THE OPERATOR HEARD FROM THE PILOT. THE PILOT OF A HELICOPTER, WHICH WAS INBOUND FOR LANDING AT THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT, STATED THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REPORT CROSSING MIDFIELD ENTERING LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 15. WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE, HE RADIOED THE PILOT TO INFORM HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE HIM IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WAS TURNING ON HIS LANDING LIHGT. HE THEN HEARD THE PILOT CALL WEST HOU STON'S UNICOM AND REQUEST THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS BE TURNED TO HIGH NTENSITY, AND STATED THAT HE HAD "LOST ALL THE POWER." THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND CAME TO REST IN A DENSELY WOODED AREA, APPROXIMATELY 1,400 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 33. ## 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 FTW00FA208](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00FA208), Jul 14, 2000: Bellanca 17-30A (N8263R), Houston, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason during maneuvering. Contributing factors were the dark night light conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Other reports on N8263R (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910922046689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910922046689I), Sep 22, 1991: Blanca 1730A (N8263R), Grand Canyon, AZ, Minor damage. Almost landed gear up. Go around made as aircraft touched the runway. Landed safely on second try. - [Incident 19870417023989I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870417023989I), Apr 17, 1987: Blanca 1730A (N8263R), San Diego, CA. Electrical problems and resultant radio problems during an IFR approach. ATC afforded special handling. 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.