Bellanca 17 30A accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, February 25, 2014
On February 25, 2014 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1977 Bellanca 17 30A, registered N9741E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Santa Rosa, New Mexico (Santa Rosa Route 66 airport). 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel supply which resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2014 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · Santa Rosa Route 66 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17 30A, built 1977 · all 17 30As on the register
- Registration
- N9741E · no longer on the register · serial 78-30860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was cruising at 8,500 feet when the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the auxiliary tank to the left main fuel tank. During the transition, the engine experienced another loss of power. The pilot was unable to restore the power so he shut down the engine and made a forced landing on a road. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the right side of the road and struck a post, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he exhausted the entire fuel supply in the auxiliary fuel tank. An examination of the wreckage by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the auxiliary tank did not contain any fuel. The right and left fuel tanks contained 4.5 and 20 gallons respectively. It is likely that the loss of engine power was a result of the brief fuel starvation during the transition from the empty auxiliary tank.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,624 hours in all; 364 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,409 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,880 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2013; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 K (piston); 1,880 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N1 Edgewood NM at 3:45 pm
- Destination: PVW Plainview TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KTCC, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 3, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.