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20020810023559A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Blanca 17-31A · Gainesboro, TN · August 10, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 10, 2002 · 11:08 local
Place
Gainesboro, TN
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N39835
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02LA147
Reported as
Blanca 1731A
Fatal injuries
0
N39835Registration cancelled Mar 29, 2005 · Bellanca 17-31AS/N 73-32-96 · Built 1972Airframe modelBellanca 17-31AEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On August 10, 2002, about 1108 central daylight time, a Bellanca 17-31A, N39835, operated by a private individual as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, made a forced landing near Gainesboro, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private-rated pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The flight had originated from the jackson county airport, near Gainesboro, Tennessee, about 1030. The pilot stated that he was cruising at about 3,500 feet when the airplane's engine began vibrating. He said he looked at the engine instruments but found no abnormal indications. He further stated that he attempted to return to the jackson county airport but was unable to maintain altitude and at about 1,800 feet the engine ceased operating. He said he approached an open field and was about to land when the landing gear impacted a barb wire fence and collapsed. The right wing then hit a post and the airplane veered to the right before coming to rest. (-23) the on scene investigation, August 12th and 13th, revealed that thereafter N39835 had crash landed in a field near the town of gainsboro, TN. Sp eaking by telephone with the PIC on the morning of August 12, he stated that he was flying in the cruise mode and the engine began to run rough. Shortly, thereafter the engine quit. Pilot stated he bumped his elbow and his passenger hurt his back slightly. The aircraft itself sustained substantial damage. Landing gear torn away from mounts; wings cracked and pieces missing from wings; fuselage wrinkled in tail area. An inspection of the engine indicated that number 3 cylinder was separated from its stud mounts. The studs appeared to be stripped of threads where the nuts had been pushed off. The ELT was in the armed position and had not activated. Fuel was noted inn all tanks. Tach time recorded as 2029.03 airframe, engine and propeller records were reviewed. The cylinder work on number 4 in 1973. No other work on cylinders was noted. Compression checked adequate. The annual inspection date.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON AUGUST 10, 2002, ABOUT 1108 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 17-31A, N39835, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, MADE A FORCED LANDING NEAR GAINESBORO, TENNESSEE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE JACKSON COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR GAINESBORO, TENNESSEE, ABOUT 1030. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS CRUISING AT ABOUT 3,500 FEET WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE BEGAN VIBRATING. HE SAID HE LOOKED AT THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS BUT FOUND NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE JACKSON COUNTY AIRPORT BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND AT ABOUT 1,800 FEET THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATING. HE SAID HE APPROACHED AN OPEN FIELD AND WAS ABOUT TO LAND WHEN THE LANDING GEAR IMPACTED A BARB WIRE FENCE AND COLLAPSED. THE RIGHT WING THEN HIT A POST AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT BEFORE COMING TO REST. (-23) THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION, AUGUST 12TH AND 13TH, REVEALED THAT THEREAFTER N39835 HAD CRASH LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR THE TOWN OF GAINSBORO, TN. SP EAKING BY TELEPHONE WITH THE PIC ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 12, HE STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING IN THE CRUISE MODE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. SHORTLY, THEREAFTER THE ENGINE QUIT. PILOT STATED HE BUMPED HIS ELBOW AND HIS PASSENGER HURT HIS BACK SLIGHTLY. THE AIRCRAFT ITSELF SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. LANDING GEAR TORN AWAY FROM MOUNTS; WINGS CRACKED AND PIECES MISSING FROM WINGS; FUSELAGE WRINKLED IN TAIL AREA. AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE INDICATED THAT NUMBER 3 CYLINDER WAS SEPARATED FROM ITS STUD MOUNTS. THE STUDS APPEARED TO BE STRIPPED OF THREADS WHERE THE NUTS HAD BEEN PUSHED OFF. THE ELT WAS IN THE ARMED POSITION AND HAD NOT ACTIVATED. FUEL WAS NOTED INN ALL TANKS. TACH TIME RECORDED AS 2029.03 AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER RECORDS WERE REVIEWED. THE CYLINDER WORK ON NUMBER 4 IN 1973. NO OTHER WORK ON CYLINDERS WAS NOTED. COMPRESSION CHECKED ADEQUATE. THE ANNUAL INSPECTION DATE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA02LA147Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGainesboro, TNa total loss of engine power due to the failure of the main bearing, a loss of oil pressure and the seizure of a connecting rod, resulting in damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.Aug 10, 2002 · Substantial damage