Bellanca 17-31 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, July 14, 1982
On July 14, 1982 at about 3:58 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-31, registered N7373V, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- July 14, 1982 · about 3:58 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31 · all 17-31s on the register
- Registration
- N7373V · registry record · serial 32-9
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT TO CHECK A RECENTLY INSTALLED ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE GAUGE WAS OPERATING SATISFACTORILY, THE PILOT BEGAN A DESCENT TOWARD THE AIRPORT. WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 3000 FT, THE PILOT OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND SMELLED FUMES FROM A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE. HE TURNED THE ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH OFF, LOWERED THE GEAR MANUALLY AND CONTINUED HIS DESCENT TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS QUICKLY TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS TURNED OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FIRE DEVELOPED ON THE LEFT SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY AND DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN HARD TO START AND A HEAVY LOAD HAD BEEN OBSERVED ON THE AMMETER DURING LANDING GEAR CYCLES. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE, THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FIRE COULD NOT BE VERIFIED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,475 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1B-5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Wales FL at 11:40 am
- Destination: Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 196°F (91°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.