- Date
- April 17, 1989, 09:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Junction, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8785VBellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890417065779A
- Case key
- 22784
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) by the pilot, which resulted in his failure to maintain control of the aircraft due to spatial disorientation. The weather conditions and his self-induced pressure were factors.
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
The non-instrument rated plt had recently accepted a new employment position & was using his acft to commute to work. Before taking off on the acdnt flt, he obtained a wx briefing & was advised that VFR flt was not recommended. Drg the flt, the acft crashed in an area of adverse wx. A witness, who heard the acft crash, estimated the ceiling was 200 ft overcast & visibility was 1/2 mi with fog & drizzle. The acft crashed near a highway that eventually passed near the destination airport. An exam of the wreckage revealed the acft had impacted in a steep descent. The witness stated that the eng was revved up to a high RPM when impact occurred. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found drg the investigation, though the acft was extensively damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8785V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30333
- Airframe hours
- 1,233
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary S. Henley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 3, 1989 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- MDD · Midland, TX
- Destination
- 5C1 · San Antonio, TX
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 30 in this make and model · 226 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8785V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.