20040731017099A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Blanca 14-19-3 · Estes Park, CO · July 31, 2004

Date: July 31, 2004 · 08:45 local
Place: Estes Park, CO
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1251R
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN04LA113
Reported as: Blanca 14193
Reported engine: Continental IO470F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,153 total994 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N1251RRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2013 · Bellanca 14-19-3S/N 4340 · Built 1967 Airframe modelBellanca 14-19-3 Engine modelContinental I0-470 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Upon reaching cruise altitude the pilot started to lean the engine, at this point it started to sputter, he moved the mixture control toward rich and the engine smoothed out and ran fine for about five seconds then quit, he then moved the mixture control to full rich and switched from left to right tank with no effect. Landed on a road and the left wing struck several mail boxes. Leaning procedures and fuel management was discussed with the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) UPON REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE THE PILOT STARTED TO LEAN THE ENGINE, AT THIS POINT IT STARTED TO SPUTTER, HE MOVED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TOWARD RICH AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT AND RAN FINE FOR ABOUT FIVE SECONDS THEN QUIT, HE THEN MOVED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO FULL RICH AND SWITCHED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT TANK WITH NO EFFECT. LANDED ON A ROAD AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK SEVERAL MAIL BOXES. LEANING PROCEDURES AND FUEL MANAGEMENT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE PILOT.

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 DEN04LA113Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEstes Park, COthe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons resulting in a forced landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the unsuitable terrain for landing and the mailbox posts.Jul 31, 2004 · Substantial damage