Bellanca 17-31A accident near Archer, Florida, January 30, 1983
On January 30, 1983 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-31A, registered N1LG, was destroyed in an accident near Archer, Florida (Flying Ten airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. 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
- January 30, 1983 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Archer, Florida · Flying Ten · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31A · all 17-31As on the register
- Registration
- N1LG · registry record · serial 74-32-143
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THE TAKEOFF WAS BEGUN WITH 1/2 FLAPS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER BREAKING GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED UP AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. FORWARD PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE YOKE AND FULL LEFT AILERON WAS APPLIED. FULL RIGHT RUDDER WAS ALSO APPLIED BUT THE AIRCRAFT YAWED LEFT AND FLEW INTO THE TREES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. AFTER SKIDDING SOME DISTANCE THE AIRPLANE TURNED INVERTED AND STOPPED. INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY SHOWED A GOUGE MADE BY THE TAIL SKID THAT WAS VISIBLE FROM ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF THE STRIP TO THE LIFTOFF POINT NEAR MIDFIELD ON THE 3015 FOOT STRIP.
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: 1,280 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Unknown (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1982; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KE5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Tampa FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,015 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from GNV, 12 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.