Bellanca 17-30 accident near Prestonburg, Kentucky, April 22, 1983
On April 22, 1983 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30, registered N199V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prestonburg, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1983 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prestonburg, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N199V · registry record · serial 30150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED TO ITS CAPACITY OF 72 GAL. APRX 3 1/2 HRS AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG QUIT WHILE FUEL WAS BEING USED FROM THE LEFT MAIN TANK. AT THAT TIME, THE PLT KNEW THAT THE AUX TANKS WERE EMPTY, BUT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS 5 GAL REMAINING IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK & 15 GAL IN THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT MAIN TANK, PUSHED THE MIXTURE CONTROL IN, ACTIVATED THE PRIME SYSTEM & CYCLED THE MAGNETOS OFF & ON, BUT TO NO AVAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE. DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT BROKE THRU A FENCE & STRUCK 2 COWS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN (20 GAL) FUEL TANK WAS APRX 3/4 FULL, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE PLT STATED THAT THE ACFT USED AN AVERAGE OF APRX 14 GAL/HR. THIS WOULD HAVE USED 49 OF THE 64 GAL OF USABLE FUEL & ACCOUNT FOR THE 15 GAL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. TO PREVENT FLOODING DURING AN ENG START, THE FUELBOOST PUMP (PRIMER) MUST BE TURNED OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER FUEL PRESSURE IS RESTORED. TIME OF PRIMER USAGE, NOT VERIFIED.
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: 638 hours in all; 134 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 552 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1983; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Daytona Beach FL
- Destination: HTG Huntington WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL83LA169.