20231230022589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bellanca 17-30A · Washington, MO · December 30, 2023

Date: December 30, 2023 · 15:01 local
Place: Washington, MO
Airport: Washington Regional
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N678MJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN24LA077
Reported as: Bellanca 17-30A
Reported engine: Continental IO-550-F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,349 total

N678MJRegistered now · Bellanca 17-30AS/N 79-30941 · Built 1979 Airframe modelBellanca 17-30A Engine 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.

Pilot took off from runway, raised gear, and proceeded to climb out. At about 400' pilot lost engine power. Pilot attempted to turn left and return to the runway. Aircraft was losing airspeed and began to stall. Pilot pushed nose down to gain airspeed. Once airspeed was up, pilot tried to get nose up level, struggled, but was finaly able to get nose level. He lowered the gear prior to hitting the ground hard. The aircraft hit short and to the left of the runway. All three gear collapsed, and the left wing hit the ground during the landing. Two of the three prop blade were bent, with one them signifigantly. The left wing had signifigant damage. Pilot got out on his own, prior to help arriving.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY, RAISED GEAR, AND PROCEEDED TO CLIMB OUT. AT ABOUT 400' PILOT LOST ENGINE POWER. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT AND RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT WAS LOSING AIRSPEED AND BEGAN TO STALL. PILOT PUSHED NOSE DOWN TO GAIN AIRSPEED. ONCE AIRSPEED WAS UP, PILOT TRIED TO GET NOSE UP LEVEL, STRUGGLED, BUT WAS FINALY ABLE TO GET NOSE LEVEL. HE LOWERED THE GEAR PRIOR TO HITTING THE GROUND HARD. THE AIRCRAFT HIT SHORT AND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. ALL THREE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND DURING THE LANDING. TWO OF THE THREE PROP BLADE WERE BENT, WITH ONE THEM SIGNIFIGANTLY. THE LEFT WING HAD SIGNIFIGANT DAMAGE. PILOT GOT OUT ON HIS OWN, PRIOR TO HELP ARRIVING.

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 CEN24LA077Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportWashington, MOFuel starvation and a total loss of engine power due to an obstructed fuel vapor return path. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadvertent aerodynamic stall/spin, which likely increased the severity of the ground impact.Dec 30, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N678MJ · 2

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

Incident 20150614009539ITaxi · Saint Clair, MOWhile taxing, the nose wheel of the super Bellanca collapsed during a right turn and damaged the propeller. The engine was at low RPM. When FSDO inspectors inspected the aircraft, the electric-driven hydraulic system was not operating.Jun 14, 2015 · Minor damage Incident 20030602015559IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Blairsville, GA(-23) Aircraft departed peachtree city, GA (ffc) and flew to Blairsville, GA (46A), touch down at Blairsville was without incident aircraft taxied back up the runway to the ramp. After arriving at the tie down area the pilot attempted to position the aircraft…Jun 2, 2003 · Minor damage