# Accident 20231230022589A: Bellanca 17-30A, Washington, MO, December 30, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 30, 2023, 15:01 local time
- Place: Washington, MO
- Airport: Washington Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.5876° N, 90.9938° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5876&lon=-90.9938&mi=10
- Aircraft: N678MJ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N678MJ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELLANCA 17-30A
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550-F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,349 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN24LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231230022589A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN24LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA077), Dec 30, 2023: Bellanca 17-30A (N678MJ), Washington, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel 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…

## Other reports on N678MJ (2)

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

- [Incident 20150614009539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150614009539I), Jun 14, 2015: Bellanca 17-30A (N678MJ), Saint Clair, MO, Minor damage. While 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…
- [Incident 20030602015559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030602015559I), Jun 2, 2003: Blanca 1730A (N678MJ), Blairsville, GA, Minor damage. (-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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.