Bellanca 17-30A accident near Athens, Georgia, December 12, 1988
On December 12, 1988 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N14695, was substantially damaged in an accident near Athens, Georgia (Athens-Ben Epps 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).
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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
- December 12, 1988 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Athens, Georgia · Athens-Ben Epps
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N14695 · registry record · serial 74-30688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING DESCENT TOWARD HIS INTENDED DESTINATION, THE PILOT NOTED A FLOATING AMMETER NEEDLE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE NOTED HIS OIL PRESSURE WAS ZERO. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND HE SELECTED A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF PAVED ROAD FOR HIS FORCED LANDING. IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THE APPROACH, A SEMI TRAILER OBSTRUCTED THE ROADWAY AND HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A WHEAT FIELD ADJACENT TO THE ROADWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF LACK OF LUBRICATION AND A SEPARATION OF A CONNECTING ROD. A FAN SHAPED OIL DEPOSIT WAS FOUND ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTOM ENGINE COWLING UNDER THE OIL COOLER. THE COOLER HAD BEEN INSTALLED 29 HOURS PREVIOUS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,584 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,468 as pilot in command; 130 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,669 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 1988; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORL Orlando FL at 10:10 am
- Destination: AHN Athens GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from AHN, 9 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N14695 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ATL89LA055.