Bellanca 17-30A accident near Fountain, Florida, February 17, 2007
On February 17, 2007 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N6641V, was destroyed in an accident near Fountain, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to a cracked engine exhaust muffler. Contributing to the accident were the inadequate inspection procedures of the muffler system and the routing of the "P" leads wiring for the magnetos.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2007 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Fountain, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N6641V · no longer on the register · serial 30313
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced an electrical short and total loss of engine power during cruise flight. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane's left engine exhaust muffler fractured resulting in an exhaust leak. The nacelle electrical wiring run was proximate to the leak, resulting in a nose landing gear indication discrepancy and the magneto "P" leads to ground out. The total loss of engine power forced an off airport landing into trees. The inspection procedures in the Airworthiness Directive for the exhaust system were inadequate to detect the crack in the aft section of the muffler.
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: 400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2006; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental 520-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 68J Tallahassee FL at 6:45 pm
- Destination: 4R4 Fairhope AL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PAM, 49 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.