Bellanca 14-19 accident near Arcata, California, July 17, 2006
On July 17, 2006 at about 5:32 am local time, a Bellanca 14-19, registered N522A, was destroyed in an accident near Arcata, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the prescribed instrument approach procedure and to maintain the proper glide slope and altitude/clearance from obstacles while on an instrument landing system approach, resulting in a collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the dark night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2006 · about 5:32 am local time
- Place
- Arcata, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-19 · all 14-19s on the register
- Registration
- N522A · registry record · serial 2075
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving flight following from air traffic control (ATC). While en route to the destination airport, the weather deteriorated to instrument flight rules conditions. He requested the instrument landing system (ILS) approach. ATC cleared him for a procedure turn to the ILS approach course, and to cross the initial approach fix (IAF) at or above 5,200 feet. The runway threshold was 316 degrees at 14.7 miles from the IAF. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane began descending prior to reaching the IAF; the airplane was 800 feet low while still 1 mile from it. The airplane continued descending until colliding with trees. It was on the approximate localizer approach path, but the debris path was on a heading about 90 degrees off the approach course. The airplane's last reported Mode C altitude was 1,600 feet mean seal level (msl). The wreckage was about 11 nautical miles from the runway at an elevation of about 1,735 feet. The glide slope altitude was 1,753 feet at the outer marker (OM), which was 4.6 nm from the runway threshold.
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: 1,369 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-435-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O08 Colusa CA at 4:12 am
- Destination: KACV Arcata Airport CA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 5:18 am from ACV, 5 miles away
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.