Bellanca 17-30 accident near Stevensville, Maryland, February 7, 2024
On February 7, 2024 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1972 Bellanca 17-30, registered N39818, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Stevensville, Maryland (Bay Bridge airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2024 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stevensville, Maryland · Bay Bridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 A, built 1972 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N39818 · registry record · serial 73-30511
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the approach to runway 29, the airplane was stable, and that the touchdown was “smooth”. The pilot described that the airplane handled as expected in flight and during the approach and that there was a wind from 010 degrees at 8 knots. After touchdown, as he lowered the nosewheel, the airplane made an uncontrolled turn to the left which he attempted to correct with full right rudder and right brake. The airplane struck a runway light before departing the runway and coming to rest in a ditch. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical defects with the rudder system controls or the nosewheel steering system. The nosewheel landing gear upper leg, lower drag strut, and right-hand lower steering rod were displaced and exhibited fractures consistent with overload as a result of impact damage. Based on this information, it is most likely that the pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing crosswind from the right resulted in a loss of control during landing and the subsequent runway excursion.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,160 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,672 as pilot in command; 590 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,676 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2024; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Aerospace IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N47 Pottstown PA at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,713 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.33 inHg
- Observation at 12:05 pm from KW29, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KW29 071705Z AUTO 34006KT 10SM CLR 06/M04 A3033 RMK AO2 T00571036=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Nose Steering Examination | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA24LA112.