Bellanca 17-30A accident near Taos, New Mexico, March 9, 1985
On March 9, 1985, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N9735E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Taos, New Mexico (Taos Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 1985
- Place
- Taos, New Mexico · Taos Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N9735E · no longer on the register · serial 75-30779
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT HE MADE A LATE DECISION TO ABORT HIS TAKEOFF AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT BEFORE IT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RWY INTO SAGE BRUSH COVERED TERRAIN. THE ACFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED.
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: 616 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 471 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520KIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SKX Taos NM
- Destination: Lincoln NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.