Bellanca 17-30A N8237R
2 August 1997 · Eagle, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 August 1997 at about 00:45 local time, a Bellanca 17-30A registered N8237R was involved in an accident near Eagle, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Eagle, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.8005, -84.7896
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Registration
- N8237R
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Oshkosh → Detroit
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA241
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, his decision to switch fuel tanks too late, and fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot said that he had departed with a main fuel tank selected to feed the engine. Once the airplane got above '4,500 feet,' the pilot switched to an auxiliary fuel tank. 'Fuel usage was timed using a countdown clock for each tank. Approaching Lansing, [Michigan] I requested and got flight following to Detroit. A few minutes later, my fuel countdown clock signaled time for a fuel cell change.' The pilot switched to a full tank. At that time, the engine lost power. The pilot switched to another full tank, but the engine wound not start. 'I told Lansing Approach of my problem; they gave me the direction to the nearest airport, and I did the Bellanca Viking restart procedure. The plane would not restart.' The pilot declared an emergency and force landed the airplane in a cornfield. Examination of the wreckage revealed that one of the airplane's five fuel tanks was empty. The remaining fuel tanks were full of fuel. No other anomalies were revealed with the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bellanca 17 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 1997 | Bellanca 17-30A | Scottsdale, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 1997 | Bellanca 17-30A | Belgium | Schuybroek Aviation Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Mar 1997 | Bellanca 17-30A | Monroe, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1997 | Bellanca 17-30 | Prescott, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Dec 1997 | Bellanca 17-30 | Independence, Kansas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Dec 1997 | Bellanca 17-30A | Steubenville, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 172P | Fowlerville, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Dietrich NIEUPORT 12 | Byron, Michigan, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Cessna 170B | Karlin, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Middleville, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-17 | Cadillac, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-34-200 | MacKinac Island, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |