Bellanca 17-30 accident near Near Fairbanks, Alaska, June 8, 1989
On June 8, 1989 at about 4:00 am local time, a Bellanca 17-30, registered CGLJM, was destroyed in an accident near Near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE WHILE ENTERING A BOX CANYON AND/OR CROSSING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN RESTRICTED WEATHER CONDITION. THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 1989 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Near Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- CGLJM · no longer on the register · serial 30023
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING EARLIER IN THE DAY. DURING A DEPARTURE FROM FAIRBANKS, AK, HE REQUESTED STAGE II RADAR SERVICE TO THE SOUTH, EN ROUTE TO VALDEZ, AK. THE ACFT NEVER ARRIVED AT VALDEZ. ON 7/12/89, IT WAS LOCATED WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 7000 FT, NEAR THE TOP OF A MTN RIDGE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MTN ON STEEP SNOW COVERED TERRAIN IN A BOX CANYON AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE INDCD THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED DURING IMPACT. THE PROP WAS NOT FOUND, BUT 4 PROP ATTACH BOLTS WERE FOUND THAT HAD BEEN SHEARED. APRX 37 MI WEST AT HEALY RIVER (ELEVATION 1294 FT), THE 1945 ADT WX WAS IN PART: 5000 FT SCATTERED, 12,000 FT SCATTERED, 18,000 FT THIN BROKEN, VISIBITY 35 MI. ABOUT 115 MI SOUTHEAST AT GULKANA (ELEVATION 1578) THE 1952 ADT SKY CONDITION WAS: 5000 FT SCATTERED, 8000 FT BROKEN.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 722 hours in all; 415 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 636 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,131 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 24, 1989; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 10:23 pm
- Destination: VDZ Valdez AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from HRR, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.