Bellanca 17-30A accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 18, 1999
On August 18, 1999 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N4148B, was destroyed in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International airport). It was a positioning 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 failure to follow published procedures in operating the aircraft. A factor was partial failure of the electrical system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1999 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Albuquerque International · 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
- N4148B · no longer on the register · serial 75-30751
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a positioning flight from one local airport to another, the aircraft developed an electrical discrepancy and the pilot elected to shut down the electrical system via the master switch. During the subsequent precautionary landing, the electrically actuated hydraulically operated landing gear remained up despite the pilot's activation of the landing gear switch to the gear down position. The aircraft slid to a stop following the gear up landing and was destroyed by post landing fire. The pilot exited the aircraft and was not 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 835 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 835 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,243 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 26, 1999; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 4AC NM at 1:45 pm
- Destination: ABQ NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 13,775 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:21 pm from ABQ
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.