Bellanca 17-30A accident near Clarendon, Texas, October 27, 2001
On October 27, 2001 at about 1:45 am local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N614CJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clarendon, Texas (Clarendon Municipal Airport). 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
the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing factors to the accident were the dark night light conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2001 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Clarendon, Texas · Clarendon Municipal Airport · 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
- N614CJ · registry record · serial 74-30636
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed for a night cross-country flight, and while climbing through 500 feet agl, the pilot heard a popping sound, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pump and attempted to restart the engine; however, he was not successful. The pilot stated that when the engine lost power the fuel selector was in the right tank position. A forced landing was then executed to an area of rough terrain south of the departure airport. The aircraft came to rest upright in a ravine. Examination of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank was empty, the right fuel tank was full, and the fuselage (header) tank contained 7 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was found selected to the right tank position. The engine was examined and test run, and no anomalies were noted that would preclude operation of the engine. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 781 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,244.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2001; 96.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 K(1) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E34 Clarendon TX at 1:45 am
- Destination: PVW Plainview TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.