- Date
- July 13, 1987, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Palatka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N93664Bellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870713079519A
- Case key
- 31771
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
Witnesses stated that they heard the acft's eng sounding rough just before it crashed into the trees. Another witness stated that he noticed that there were flames & smoke coming from the left side of the plane. A tail pipe assembly was found on the ramp at the departure airport where the aircraft had been previously parked. Examination of the acft revealed the left tailpipe assembly was missing & evidence of extreme heat damage in the immediate area behind where the left tailpipe had been located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N93664
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7430667
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Dean Van Eaton
- Registered owner
- Dean Van Eaton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 17, 1986
- Departed
- 28J · Palatka, FL
- Destination
- VLD · Valdosta, GA
- 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GNV, 35 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.