Bellanca 17-30A accident near Morris, Illinois, February 16, 2013
On February 16, 2013 at about 11:03 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N93747, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Morris, Illinois (Morris Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2013 · about 11:03 pm local time
- Place
- Morris, Illinois · Morris Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N93747 · no longer on the register · serial 73-30605
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power as the airplane was turning onto the base leg in the traffic pattern. The pilot made a forced landing on a road about 4 miles south of the airport. During the landing roll, the airplane’s right wing struck a wooden road sign. The airplane swerved to the right, went off the road, and came to a stop in a plowed field. The day before the accident flight, the pilot fueled the airplane to capacity (79 gallons total of which 75 gallons were usable) and then flew 754 miles in 5 hours 46 minutes. The airplane was not refueled before the accident flight, which lasted 18 minutes 56 seconds. A postaccident examination showed no usable fuel in either wing tank. A download of data from the airplane's engine monitoring system showed a drop in fuel flow, manifold pressure, and oil pressure, consistent with fuel flow interruption, then fuel exhaustion. Fuel calculations performed after the accident suggested that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,863 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,404 as pilot in command; 637 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 31, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 87 hours in all; 13 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,216 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2012; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,225 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C09 Morris IL at 10:44 pm
- Destination: C09 Morris IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from C09, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N93747 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.