Bellanca 17-30A accident near New Market, Virginia, May 31, 1996
On May 31, 1996, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N14765, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Market, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power as a result of the failure of the left exhaust tailpipe and led to a shorted ignition system. A related factor was the unsuitable terrain in which the aircraft landed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1996
- Place
- New Market, Virginia · map
- 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
- N14765 · no longer on the register · serial 74-30625
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot smelled electrical smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff and turned back the departure airport. Shortly after they turned back, the engine lost power, and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the left exhaust tailpipe had separated from the muffler and that the insulation around the electrical wire bundle which passed through the firewall was melted. The wire bundle supplied power to the cockpit instruments and ignition system which included the ground leads for the magnetos. The pilot stated that he believed that the hot exhaust melted the insulation from the electrical wire bundle, the ground leads to the magnetos shorted, resulting in the loss of engine power.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,333 hours in all; 416 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,326 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,706 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8W2
- Destination: W75 Hummel VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.