- Date
- April 7, 1991, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gt. Barrington, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1269RBellanca 17-31 ATC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910407009029A
- Case key
- 36787
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
The mechanic's improper use of anti-seize compound on the injector nozzle threads which resulted in an engine failure.
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 takeoff, the airplane's engine lost power which resulted in inadequate power to clear trees located at the end of the runway and in the airplane's flight path. The investigation revealed that at the last annual inspection a mechanic replaced the fuel injector nozzles using an anti-seize compound on the threads. The anti-seize compound worked its way into the number 1 cylinder fuel injector nozzle threw the holes and blocked the flow of fuel to the cylinder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1269R
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-31 ATC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310200
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-KIE5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Barrett Scoville
- Registered owner
- Barrett Scoville
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 1991
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GBR · Great Barrington, runway 29, 2,600 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.