Bellanca 17-30 accident near Durango, Colorado, December 30, 1995
On December 30, 1995 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30, registered N7356V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado (La Plata County airport). It was an instructional 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 failure of the nose wheel steering mechanism which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable on the ground. A factor was the rough and uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 1995 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · La Plata County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7356V · registry record · serial 30192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing roll, when the nose wheel was lowered to the runway, the aircraft veered right and departed the side of the runway into rough terrain. During this excursion, the landing gear collapsed. Examination of the aircraft provided evidence of a failure of the left nose wheel steering rod. The fracture surface on the rod displayed evidence of overstress.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 12,800 as pilot in command; 7,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1994; 1 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: DRO at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 9,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from DRO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.