- Date
- January 2, 1982, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Homer, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N14779Bellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820102000359A
- Case key
- 71064
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During an IFR flight at 5000 ft MSL, the engine began running rough. The pilot attempted to restore power, but eventually, the engine began to windmill with no apparent thrust. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot descended through a cloud layer and broke out of the clouds over a wooded area at about 300 ft AGL. He attempted to glide to an open area, but collided with trees, impacted on a hard surfaced road, and bounced over a fence and into a pasture. The pilot egressed with injuries to his face and burns on his left arm; however, the plane was destroyed by fire. A teardown of the engine revealed no preimpact failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14779
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1220433
- Engine
- Continental IO-520K, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David Shelton
- Registered owner
- David Shelton
- Departed
- Shrevesport, LA
- Destination
- Tupelo, MS
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 6,200 total · 21 in this make and model · 6,200 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 140 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.