Bellanca 17-30A accident near Friendswood, Texas, April 28, 2010
On April 28, 2010 at about 3:28 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N14787, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Friendswood, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's impact with terrain for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2010 · about 3:28 pm local time
- Place
- Friendswood, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N14787 · no longer on the register · serial 74-30628
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just taken off on a local flight. Recorded global positioning system (GPS) information from a handheld unit showed the airplane take off on a south-southeasterly heading and climb to an altitude of 634 feet mean sea level (about 600 feet above ground level) before entering a gradual descent that continued until the airplane impacted terrain just before a treed area. Witnesses in the area heard the airplane’s engine produce a high pitched winding noise just before hearing the airplane impact the ground. Ground impact marks at the accident site were indicative of the airplane in a wings-level, continuous descent with the engine under power to the time of the impact. A postaccident examination of the airplane showed no anomalies indicative of any systems problems prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 6, 2005
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LVJ Pearland TX at 3:00 pm
- Destination: LVJ Pearland TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LVJ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.