Bellanca 17-30A accident near Fallbrook, California, May 24, 1996
On May 24, 1996 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N23MB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fallbrook, California (Fallbrook Comm Airpark airport). It was a personal 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
failure of the pilot to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors relating to the accident were: the excessive airspeed on final approach, and the short and wet condition of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1996 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fallbrook, California · Fallbrook Comm Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N23MB · registry record · serial 74-30719
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were returning from a cross-country flight and landed on runway 18. A brief rain and hail squall reached the airport at the time of their arrival. The pilot landed long, and the aircraft touched down on the nosewheel first, then bounced three times. The aircraft departed the left side of the 2,160-foot-long runway. The pilot did not get a preflight weather briefing nor file a flight plan. He stated that a television station reported clear weather and unlimited visibility, but possible clouds by late evening near the coast. The wind was from the southwest at 10 to 15 knots.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,798 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,798 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,702 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1995; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ at 4:15 pm
- Destination: L18 CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,165 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N23MB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.