Bellanca 17-30A accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, October 18, 1992
On October 18, 1992 at about 1:11 am local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N14695, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado (Walker Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR UPPER DRAG STRUT BRACKET DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 1992 · about 1:11 am local time
- Place
- Grand Junction, Colorado · Walker Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N14695 · registry record · serial 74-30688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT MADE A LOW PASS AND CONTROL TOWER PERSONNEL ADVISED HIM THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. WHEN THE AIRPLANE LANDED, IT SWERVED OFF THE RUNWAY AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE UPPER DRAG STRUT BRACKET WAS BROKEN. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FRACTURED PIECES 'EXHIBITED FEATURES TYPICAL OF FATIGUE CRACKING' AT MULTIPLE POINTS OF ORIGIN AND 'OVERSTRESS SEPARATIONS.'
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: 772 hours in all; 267 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 632 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,540 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1992; 113 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Classic Wings, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TVY Tooele UT at 11:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 10,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N14695 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 DEN93LA006.