- Date
- February 25, 1991, 18:15 local (Feb 26, 1991, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Coalinga, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8290RBellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910225003499A
- Case key
- 27123
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
Fuel starvation and the improper use of the fuel selector by the pilot. The rough terrain on which the aircraft landed was a factor in the accident.
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 pilot flew to an airport 45 nautical miles away from his home airport to renew his expired biennial flight review. After completing the flight check the pilot took off to return to his home airport. The engine failed during cruise flight and the aircraft landed in rough terrain and nosed over. An engine test run after the accident did not disclose any failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8290R
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30481
- Engine
- Continental I0520K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George R. Hunt
- Registered owner
- George R. Hunt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- CLG · Coalinga, CA
- Destination
- FAT · Fresno, CA
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 640 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- FAT, 45 nm away
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 N8290R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.