Bellanca 17-31ATC accident near Moose, Wyoming, November 28, 1983
On November 28, 1983 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC, registered N107CB, was destroyed in an accident near Moose, Wyoming (Jackson Hole airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 1983 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Moose, Wyoming · Jackson Hole
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31ATC · all 17-31ATCs on the register
- Registration
- N107CB · registry record · serial 73-31051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IN IFR WEATHER. THE PLT FAILED TO FOLLOW ESTABLISHED DEPARTURE PROCEDURES AND IN FACT HE DID NOT EVEN CALL IN THE FACT THAT HE HAD DEPARTED OR HIS DEPARTURE TIME AS INSTRUCTED BY SALT LAKE CENTER. ATTEMPTS BY SALT LAKE CENTER AND IDA FSS TO CONTACT THE ACFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. FROM TIME OF TAKEOFF UNTIL THE CRASH THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT DEPARTED ABOUT 0840 MST AND CRASHED ABOUT 05-15 MINUTES LATER. THE ACFT WAS FOUND 3 MILES NORTH AND 1 MILE WEST OF THE DEPARTURE ARPT ABOUT 5 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE FOR TERRAIN CLEARANCE IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT ON THE ACFT HEADING OF 260 DEGREES IS ABOUT 12000 FT MSL. THEACCIDENT SITE ELEVATION WAS 7740 FT. THE WEATHER WAS CEILING 1000 FT SKY OBSCURED VISIBILITY 2 MILES LIGHT SNOW WIND CALM. THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A LEFT WING LOW NOSE LOW ATTITUDE INTO TALL PINE TREES AND SNOW COVERED GROUND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,415 hours in all; 601 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 1,203 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,395 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1983; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Avco Lycoming IO-540-L1E5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson Hole at 3:39 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:40 pm from JAC, 3 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN84FA039.