- Date
- December 7, 1988, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Martelle, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N198VBellanca 17-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881207053099A
- Case key
- 34728
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
Anticipating a fuel shortage on a personal cross country flight, the plt requested the nearest airport from approach control. The nearest apt was within five miles of his destination apt so continued on course. About 15 miles from his destination, and having switched to his last fuel tank which indicated less than 1/4 tank, the pressure gauge flickered indicating imminent fuel exhaustion. He elected to make a precautionary ldg on a rural road instead of risking an emergency landing in an upcoming populated area. He selected a country road to land on while he still had power. During the landing roll out, the acft struck a road sign causing the acft to veer into a ditch. The plt said his fuel computations were based on fuel used and remaining. The plt did not visually check the fuel quantity before departing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N198V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30214
- Airframe hours
- 1,569
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pick, Alfred
- Registered owner
- Pick, Alfred
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1988 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- LAN · Lansing, MI
- Destination
- C17 · Marion, IA
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,102 total · 165 in this make and model · 1,102 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CID, 20 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.