Bellanca BL17-30 accident near Austin, Texas, August 10, 2004
On August 10, 2004 at about 3:01 pm local time, a Bellanca BL17-30, registered N4700V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Texas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as result of the pilot's improper fuel management. A contributing factor was 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
- August 10, 2004 · about 3:01 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca BL17-30
- Registration
- N4700V · no longer on the register · serial 30038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 700-hour private pilot reported that the engine lost power as he was initiating his descent into his destination airport. The pilot added that he was unable to restart the engine and elected to execute a forced landing to a closed airport. During the emergency descent to the runway, the airplane landed short of the landing threshold for the closed runway. A detailed examination of the aircraft fuel system by an FAA inspector revealed that the main and auxiliary cells for the right fuel system were empty, while both the main and auxiliary cells for the left fuel system were nearly full of fuel.
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: 700 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2004; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLUD Decatur TX at 1:40 pm
- Destination: KAUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,006 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from AUS
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.