Bellanca 17-30A accident near Ariton, Alabama, November 8, 1984
On November 8, 1984 at about 11:23 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N8794V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ariton, Alabama. 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).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1984 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Ariton, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N8794V · no longer on the register · serial 30320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT LOST PWR AND PLT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART ENGINE BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. POWER WAS NOT REGAINED AND FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FIELD. PLT STATED AUX TANKS WERE FULL AND RT MAIN CONTAINED 1/2 GALLON OF FUEL. FUEL TANK SELECTED AT TIME OF POWER LOSS IS UNKNOWN. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,045 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1984; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Ft. Myers FL at 9:01 pm
- Destination: MGM Montgomery AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:30 pm
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.
Other NTSB records under N8794V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.