OpenAirDocs.org

20070915023459A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Blanca 17-30A · Dallas, GA · September 15, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 15, 2007 · 14:15 local
Place
Dallas, GA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8260R
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC07FA228
Reported as
Blanca 1730A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
364 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N8260RRegistration cancelled Feb 22, 2017 · Bellanca 17-30AS/N 30438 · Built 1972Airframe modelBellanca 17-30AEngine modelContinental IO-520 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) Departed kctj (west carrollton regional airport) VFR at 1415L accompanied by another aircraft enroute to kryy (mccollum-cobb county airport). About 10 minutes prior to landing at ryy, at about 5000' altitude, pilot started descent for landing. The witnessing pilot advised the descent was "more drastic" than normal and after descending below 3000' and turning to the east, then south the pilot made a distress call to ryy declaring an engine failure and was going to attempt to land at what appeared to be an old runway, (actually an abandoned drag-strip) about 1/4 mile long. The aircraft descended into the trees about 500 feet from the drag-strip. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot fatally injured. There was no post-accident fire and responding CFR did not apply water to wreckage. A second witness called from home in Dallas, GA and advised he heard the aircraft overhead and the engine was sputtering and backfiring. The witness advised that at one point the engine quit but the pilot was able to restart it. The witness said the engine did not appear to be putting out much power and continued to sputter and backfire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DEPARTED KCTJ (WEST CARROLLTON REGIONAL AIRPORT) VFR AT 1415L ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ENROUTE TO KRYY (MCCOLLUM-COBB COUNTY AIRPORT). ABOUT 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO LANDING AT RYY, AT ABOUT 5000' ALTITUDE, PILOT STARTED DESCENT FOR LANDING. THE WITNESSING PILOT ADVISED THE DESCENT WAS "MORE DRASTIC" THAN NORMAL AND AFTER DESCENDING BELOW 3000' AND TURNING TO THE EAST, THEN SOUTH THE PILOT MADE A DISTRESS CALL TO RYY DECLARING AN ENGINE FAILURE AND WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO LAND AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN OLD RUNWAY, (ACTUALLY AN ABANDONED DRAG-STRIP) ABOUT 1/4 MILE LONG. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE TREES ABOUT 500 FEET FROM THE DRAG-STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT FATALLY INJURED. THERE WAS NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE AND RESPONDING CFR DID NOT APPLY WATER TO WRECKAGE. A SECOND WITNESS CALLED FROM HOME IN DALLAS, GA AND ADVISED HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD AND THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING AND BACKFIRING. THE WITNESS ADVISED THAT AT ONE POINT THE ENGINE QUIT BUT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE WITNESS SAID THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE PUTTING OUT MUCH POWER AND CONTINUED TO SPUTTER AND BACKFIRE.

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 NYC07FA228Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportDallas, GAThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise due to fuel contamination.Sep 15, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8260R · 1

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

Incident 20051104029669ILevel Off Touchdown · Covington, GA(-23) Student pilot practicing full stop landings. Coming in on runway 28 at Covington airport. Upon landing aircraft made sharp turn to left. Aircraft departed runway and ran into the adjacent lake.Nov 4, 2005 · Substantial damage