Bellanca 17-30A accident near Eagle, Michigan, August 2, 1997
On August 2, 1997, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N8237R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eagle, Michigan. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, his decision to switch fuel tanks too late, and fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1997
- Place
- Eagle, Michigan · 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
- N8237R · no longer on the register · serial 30473
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he had departed with a main fuel tank selected to feed the engine. Once the airplane got above '4,500 feet,' the pilot switched to an auxiliary fuel tank. 'Fuel usage was timed using a countdown clock for each tank. Approaching Lansing, [Michigan] I requested and got flight following to Detroit. A few minutes later, my fuel countdown clock signaled time for a fuel cell change.' The pilot switched to a full tank. At that time, the engine lost power. The pilot switched to another full tank, but the engine wound not start. 'I told Lansing Approach of my problem; they gave me the direction to the nearest airport, and I did the Bellanca Viking restart procedure. The plane would not restart.' The pilot declared an emergency and force landed the airplane in a cornfield. Examination of the wreckage revealed that one of the airplane's five fuel tanks was empty. The remaining fuel tanks were full of fuel. No other anomalies were revealed with the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 448 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 387 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,145 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 1997; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI at 11:00 pm
- Destination: DET Detroit MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from LAN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.