Bellanca 17-30A N14765

Summary

On 31 May 1996 at about 00:10 local time, a Bellanca 17-30A registered N14765 was involved in an accident near New Market, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 May 1996 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

New Market, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.6400, -78.6691

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-30A

Registration

N14765

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Hummel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

IAD96LA087

1 person had minor injuries.

a loss of engine power as a result of the failure of the left exhaust tailpipe and led to a shorted ignition system. A related factor was the unsuitable terrain in which the aircraft landed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot smelled electrical smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff and turned back the departure airport. Shortly after they turned back, the engine lost power, and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the left exhaust tailpipe had separated from the muffler and that the insulation around the electrical wire bundle which passed through the firewall was melted. The wire bundle supplied power to the cockpit instruments and ignition system which included the ground leads for the magnetos. The pilot stated that he believed that the hot exhaust melted the insulation from the electrical wire bundle, the ground leads to the magnetos shorted, resulting in the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.