Bellanca 17-31A N7SF

Summary

On 12 May 1990 at about 04:00 local time, a Bellanca 17-31A registered N7SF was involved in an accident near Davis Park, New York, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 May 1990 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Davis Park, New York, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-31A

Registration

N7SF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farmingdale → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC90GA105

4 people died.

THE AIRPLANE IMPACTING THE WATER AT A HIGH SPEED FOR UNKNOWN REASON(S).

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE WEATHER WAS VFR THROUGHOUT THE AREA WHEN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON WHAT WAS TO HAVE BEEN A LOCAL AREA TRAINING FLIGHT FOR THE U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND IT WAS REPORTED OVERDUE ABOUT 6 HRS AFTER TAKEOFF. RECORDED RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN OUT OVER THE OCEAN AFTER TAKEOFF, AND AFTER SOME MANEUVERING REVERSED COURSE. AT NO TIME WAS THE AIRPLANE ABOVE 500 FT MSL. ON 5/13 PARTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND WASHED UP ON A BEACH. TWO PASSENGER BODIES WERE RECOVERED; THE PILOT AND THE REMAINING PASSENGER WERE NOT. INJURIES ARE PRESUMED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED THE WATER AT HIGH SPEED WHILE STRUCTURALLY INTACT. THE PILOT HAD REPORTEDLY SUFFERED A HEAD INJURY WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 48 HRS, AND HAD BEEN COMPLAINING OF PAIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS HEAD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.