Bellanca 17-31ATC accident near Sewanee, Tennessee, November 14, 2004
On November 14, 2004 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC, registered N4088B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sewanee, Tennessee (Sewanee - Franklin County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare during landing, which resulted in the overload and collapse of the nose landing gear and subsequent on-ground loss of control of the airplane (aircraft control not possible) and collision with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2004 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sewanee, Tennessee · Sewanee - Franklin County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31ATC · all 17-31ATCs on the register
- Registration
- N4088B · registry record · serial 75-31120
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the airplane touched down normally on the main wheels during landing, but when the nosewheel touched down, the airplane veered "violently" to the left. The pilot's attempt to gain control of the airplane with brake and rudder inputs was unsuccessful, and it veered off the runway and struck a parked airplane. A single, heavy black skid mark extended from the runway centerline, off the left side of the runway, and continued as a gouge through the grass and past the parked airplane that was struck. The accident airplane's nose landing gear lower drag strut assembly was damaged, and the rod end spring assembly was separated into pieces. The mechanic who disassembled and examined the nose landing gear assembly after the accident stated that the overcenter spring on the drag strut may have broken on landing, allowing the nosewheel to retract 8 to 12 inches and making the nosewheel steering inoperative. Metallurgical examination of the lower drag strut assembly and the two separated pieces of the rod end spring assembly revealed no evidence of corrosion or fatigue; the fracture surface features and deformation were consistent with overload.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 962 hours in all; 226 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 867 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,893.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 23.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KJWN Nashville TN at 5:20 pm
- Destination: Sewanee TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 3,700 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.56 inHg
- Observation at 7:05 pm from KBGF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.