Bellanca 17-30A accident near Waukegan, Illinois, August 9, 2008
On August 9, 2008 at about 4:17 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N1289R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Waukegan, Illinois. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane following a failure of the right brake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2008 · about 4:17 pm local time
- Place
- Waukegan, Illinois · 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
- N1289R · registry record · serial 30417
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he made a normal landing, touching down on the centerline, just past the runway threshold. He stated that he applied the toe brakes to turn off onto a taxiway and discovered there was no pressure on the right brake. The pilot stated he released the brakes as the airplane began to veer off the left side of the runway. Construction was taking place on the airport taxiways and the pilot applied hard left brake to avoid hitting a construction worker and construction equipment. The airplane turned left contacting a taxiway light and an 8-inch high concrete pillar with 3-foot high pieces of steel rebar sticking up from it. The pilot stated the brakes functioned properly prior to the accident landing. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed there was no pressure in the right brake master cylinder. The last annual inspection of the airplane was November 6, 2006.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 165 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 124 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFR Bedford IN at 2:35 pm
- Destination: UGN Waukegan IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 am from UGN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI08CA247.