Bellanca 17-30A accident near Graford, Texas, May 26, 1992
On May 26, 1992 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N9742E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Graford, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOOSE JAM NUT ON THROTTLE CABLE. FACTORS WERE INADEQUATE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN AND WATER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1992 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Graford, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N9742E · registry record · serial 78-30882
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SECOND PILOT (OWNER/OPERATOR) AND INSTRUMENT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DEPARTED A LAKE RESORT AIRPORT DURING VFR CONDITIONS ON WHAT WAS TO HAVE BEEN A DUAL INSTRUCTION CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. DURING THE VFR INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. THE SECOND PILOT WHO WAS THE MANIPULATOR OF THE CONTROLS MADE A VFR ENTRY FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND LANDING AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. ABEAM THE RUNWAY NUMBERS THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT MAINTAINING ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR MANIPULATED THE CONTROLS AND MADE AN EMERGENCY FORCED LANDING INTO THE WATER. DURING RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE IT WAS NOTED THAT THE JAM NUT ON THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS LOOSE AND THE TACHOMETER DRIVE CABLE RING NUT WAS LOOSE. FOLLOWING THE RECOVERY AND SECURING OF THE JAM NUT AND RING NUT, AN ENGINE TEST RUN THROUGHOUT THE POWER RANGES WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT ANOMALIES. THE AIRPLANE RECORDS AND TACHOMETER INDICATED 15.76 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE GEAR MICROSWITCH TESTED SATISFACTORY. WATER IN THE GEAR MOTOR AND POWERPACK PREVENTED TESTING OF THE GEAR RETRACTION SYSTEM.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,264 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 2,063 as pilot in command; 1,094 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,573 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 1992; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F35 Graford TX at 2:30 pm
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from MWL, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW92LA141.