Bellanca 14-9 accident near Lakeland, Florida, July 20, 1994
On July 20, 1994 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Bellanca 14-9, registered N25310, was destroyed in an accident near Lakeland, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER MODIFICATION OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP MECHANICAL ARM BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON, RESTRICTING THE FUEL SYSTEMS ABILITY TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE ENGINE AT FULL POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1994 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-9 · all 14-9s on the register
- Registration
- N25310 · no longer on the register · serial 1032
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT BETWEEN 100 TO 300 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES AND CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP REVEALED AN IMPROPER ALTERATION OF THE OPERATING ARM IN ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE PUMP DIAPHRAGM MECHANISM BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON. THE ALTERATION LIMITED THE TRAVEL OF THE OPERATING ARM, RESTRICTING THE FUEL SYSTEMS ABILITY TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE ENGINE AT FULL POWER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ken Royce 5-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:48 pm from LAL, 1 miles away
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.