Bellanca 17-30 accident near Independence, Kansas, December 8, 1997
On December 8, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30, registered N4854V, was destroyed in an accident near Independence, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather. Contributing factors were low ceilings, fog, and the guy wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Independence, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N4854V · no longer on the register · serial 30108
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a guy wire attached to a 414-foot tower, about 375 feet above ground level. The tower was located along the route of flight, between Wichita, Kansas, and the pilot's stated destination of Harrison, Arkansas. The non-instrument rated pilot had called and obtained a telephone weather briefing for the proposed cross-country flight. The briefer advised that the existing and forecast weather was IMC with low ceilings and fog along the proposed route. A resident located about one-quarter mile from the accident site told authorities he heard the airplane engine, which became silent, followed by a 'big thud.' He estimated the ceiling to be about 200 to 300 feet, at that time. Subsequent examination of the airplane failed to reveal any pre-existing mechanical anomalies.
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
- Flight time: 750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3KM Wichita KS
- Destination: HRO Harrison AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.