What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 1, 2021, at approximately 14:43 mountain standard time (MST), a Bellanca 17-30 (N4702V), experienced a partial loss of engine power and made a precautionary landing 8.7 miles west-southwest of Grand Canyon National park airport (kgcn). The certificated commercial pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The aircraft received minor damaged.
The 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight departed torrance airport (ktoa), torrance, California with a stop at cable airport (kccb), upland, CA before proceeding on a cross-country flight to page, Arizona.
At 14:41 MST, the pilot of N4702V contacted Grand Canyon tower (gcn) requesting to land. Gcn tower issued landing pattern entry instructions to N4702V. At 14:43 MST, the pilot of N4702V stated to gcn tower ?we have an emergency, we are going to land here?. Gcn tower inquired about the emergency and the pilot reported a ?fuel issue?. There was no further contact with N4702V until a 911 based call confirmed the aircraft was on the ground approximately 5 miles southwest with no injuries reported.
The on-site investigation revealed the aircraft landed on open sloped terrain on a southwest heading. The aircraft sustained minor damage during the landing in which the nosewheel landing gear collapsed resulting in damage to the lower engine cowling and propeller. Inspection of the aircraft fuel system approximately 5 hours after the landing event revealed both main tanks (left/right) and auxilary fuel tank contained no measurable amount of fuel. No fuel was visible on the ground. Examination of the landing site indicated the aircraft touchdown was on a magnetic heading of 250 degrees with the landing gear extended. The aircraft traveled approximately 600 feet before the nose landing gear collapsed causing damage to the propeller blades and lower engine cowl. The aircraft damage assessment was determined to be minor.
The pilot provided a written statement that he added 33.3 gallons of fuel at whiteman airport (kwhp) prior to departure and then flew to ktoa to pick up two passengers. The flight then proceeded to kccb and then onto the final destination of kpga. The pilot stated that approximately 50 miles from kgcn and at cruise altitude of 11,500 feet, an engine vibration was noticed which increased along with fluctuating oil pressure. The pilot elected to change his destination to kgcn. The pilot stated by telephone on July 20, 2021, that he elected to make a precautionary landing in the open field rather than attempting to land at kgcn due to the engine condition of cutting out and exhibiting partial power.
The investigation and final determination is pending awaiting further examination of the engine and aircraft fuel system at a controlled storage facility.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 1, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:43 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), A BELLANCA 17-30 (N4702V), EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING 8.7 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK AIRPORT (KGCN). THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGED.
THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED TORRANCE AIRPORT (KTOA), TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA WITH A STOP AT CABLE AIRPORT (KCCB), UPLAND, CA BEFORE PROCEEDING ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO PAGE, ARIZONA.
AT 14:41 MST, THE PILOT OF N4702V CONTACTED GRAND CANYON TOWER (GCN) REQUESTING TO LAND. GCN TOWER ISSUED LANDING PATTERN ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS TO N4702V. AT 14:43 MST, THE PILOT OF N4702V STATED TO GCN TOWER ?WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY, WE ARE GOING TO LAND HERE?. GCN TOWER INQUIRED ABOUT THE EMERGENCY AND THE PILOT REPORTED A ?FUEL ISSUE?. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH N4702V UNTIL A 911 BASED CALL CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHWEST WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED.
THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON OPEN SLOPED TERRAIN ON A SOUTHWEST HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING THE LANDING IN WHICH THE NOSEWHEEL LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING AND PROPELLER. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS AFTER THE LANDING EVENT REVEALED BOTH MAIN TANKS (LEFT/RIGHT) AND AUXILARY FUEL TANK CONTAINED NO MEASURABLE AMOUNT OF FUEL. NO FUEL WAS VISIBLE ON THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING SITE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHDOWN WAS ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 250 DEGREES WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET BEFORE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER BLADES AND LOWER ENGINE COWL. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE MINOR.
THE PILOT PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE ADDED 33.3 GALLONS OF FUEL AT WHITEMAN AIRPORT (KWHP) PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND THEN FLEW TO KTOA TO PICK UP TWO PASSENGERS. THE FLIGHT THEN PROCEEDED TO KCCB AND THEN ONTO THE FINAL DESTINATION OF KPGA. THE PILOT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES FROM KGCN AND AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 11,500 FEET, AN ENGINE VIBRATION WAS NOTICED WHICH INCREASED ALONG WITH FLUCTUATING OIL PRESSURE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CHANGE HIS DESTINATION TO KGCN. THE PILOT STATED BY TELEPHONE ON JULY 20, 2021, THAT HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE OPEN FIELD RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT KGCN DUE TO THE ENGINE CONDITION OF CUTTING OUT AND EXHIBITING PARTIAL POWER.
THE INVESTIGATION AND FINAL DETERMINATION IS PENDING AWAITING FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM AT A CONTROLLED STORAGE FACILITY.
Other reports on N4702V · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.