Bellanca 17-30 accident near Santa Barbara, California, May 8, 1982
On May 8, 1982, a Bellanca 17-30, registered N4907V, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1982
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California · Santa Barbara · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N4907V · no longer on the register · serial 30137
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT VISITED FRESNO FSS FOR A WEATHER BRIEFING ON ROUTE TO SANTA BARBARA. HE WAS ADVISED OF WEATHER AND TOLD VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PILOT THEN SAID HE WOULD GO VFR AND MAKE AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AT SANTA BARBARA IF WEATHER WAS AS BAD AS FORECAST. HE ALSO SAID HE DID NOT NEED A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING. HE DEPARTED FRESNO AT 1623 WITH ONE PASSENGER AND PROCEEDED TO SANTA BARBARA. HE WAS DESCENDED TO 2300 FEET APPROACHING HIS FINAL FIX FOR A VOR RUNWAY 25 APPROACH BY SANTA BARBARA APPROACH CONTROL AND TOLD TO SWITCH TO TOWER FREQUENCY. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER AT 1741 THE FLIGHT CONTACTED THE TOWER AND ADVISED THAT THEY WERE LOST. TOWER ADVISED THE FLIGHT TO EXECUTE A MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE AND CONTACT DEPARTURE CONTROL. THE FLIGHT WAS HEARD ON DEPARTURE FREQUENCY BUT NO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. N4907V WAS FOUND ON MAY 8 AT AN ELEVATION OF 2450 FEET, 9 MI. FROM SANTA BARBARA VOR. THIS WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
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: 1,208 hours in all; 484 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,777 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Clamar Air
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA at 4:23 pm
- Destination: F70 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,054 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 136°F (58°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from SBA, 13 miles away
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.