Bellanca 17-30 N198V

Summary

On 7 December 1988 at about 23:15 local time, a Bellanca 17-30 registered N198V, operated by Pick, Alfred, was involved in an accident near Martelle, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 December 1988 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Martelle, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

42.0198, -91.3508

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-30

Registration

N198V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Pick, Alfred

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lansing → Marion

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

MKC89LA031

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.