Bellanca 17-30A N14698

Summary

On 23 August 1991 at about 19:05 local time, a Bellanca 17-30A registered N14698, operated by Thomas B. & Pamela Smith, was involved in an accident near Arlington, Wyoming, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 1991 at 19:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Arlington, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-30A

Registration

N14698

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas B. & Pamela Smith

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Ogden

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA91FA220

3 people died.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS CONTRIUBTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TREES AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TREES.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE LOW TIME, RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED DENVER, COLORADO, ON A VFR FLIGHT TO OGDEN, UTAH, ABOUT 1150 LOCAL AND REPORTED 6 NM SOUTH OF LARAMIE (LAR), WYOMING, AT 10500 FEET AT 1250 LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A CLEARCUT AREA 31 NM WEST OF LAR AT 9,200 FEET MSL APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT ROTATIONAL SCARRING ON THE PROPELLER NOR WITHIN THE ENGINE. TREE IMPACTS AT THE EDGE OF THE CLEARCUT WERE CONSISTENT WITH A RIGHT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PILOT FILED WITH 4 HOURS 50 MINUTES OF FUEL ABOARD. A POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION NOTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.