Bellanca 17-30A accident near Williams, Arizona, November 25, 1982
On November 25, 1982 at about 2:00 am local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N14748, was destroyed in an accident near Williams, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 25, 1982 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Williams, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N14748 · no longer on the register · serial 74-30676
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ORIGINAL DEPARTURE POINT WAS CAMARILLO, CA. BEFORE DEPARTING CAMARILLO, THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A FLIGHT TO FLAGSTAFF, AZ. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE FLAGSTAFF WEATHER WAS, IN PART: ZERO CEILING, 1/16 MI VISIBILITY.THE PILOT WAS WARNED OF OCCASIONAL LIGHT RIME ICING ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL IN CALIFORNIA AND MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS BEYOND THE CALIFORNIA BORDER. THE PILOT DEPARTED CAMARILLO AT ABOUT 1600 MST AND MADE A REFUELING STOP AT KINGMAN, AZ. BEFORE DEPARTING KINGMAN, HE REPORTED THAT HE WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE HIGHWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE COLLIDED WITH HIGH TERRAIN AT NIGHT AT AN ELEVATION OF 7000 FT, JUST NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 140, WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING. ACCORDING TO AN NTSB REPORT, THE CLOUD LEVEL WOULD HAVE BEEN AT ABOUT 5000 TO 6000 FT IN THAT VICINITY AND THE FREEZING LEVEL WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 7000 FT. MIXED ICING CONDITIONS WERE PROBABLE FROM 7000 TO 16000 FT MSL.
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
- Flight time: 546 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IGM Kingman AZ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from FLG, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.