Bellanca 14-13-2 accident near Smithville, Tennessee, October 27, 1996
On October 27, 1996 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 14-13-2, registered N74306, was destroyed in an accident near Smithville, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), shortly after takeoff; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while turning in an attempt to maneuver back to the airport, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent into wooded terrain. The pilot's attempt to return to the departure airport was a probable factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1996 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Smithville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-13-2 · all 14-13-2s on the register
- Registration
- N74306 · no longer on the register · serial 1419
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed on runway 24, and shortly after crossing the end of the runway, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot transmitted on the unicom frequency that he had a problem and was turning back. The aircraft was observed at about 200 feet agl in a steep left bank. After reaching a northeasterly heading, the nose and left wing of the aircraft dropped, and the aircraft descended nose first into a wooded area where it crashed. A postcrash fire erupted and consumed the fuselage and left wing. Postcrash examination of the aircraft showed no evidence of pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure or flight control system. Examination of the engine and propeller showed the wooden propeller blades had no rotational damage. No evidence of pre-crash mechanical failure of the engine was found. The pilot did not have a current FAA medical certificate or current biennial flight review. The aircraft last received an annual inspection on 6/12/94.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,522 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1994; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 0A3 at 8:29 pm
- Destination: M54 Lebanon TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from BNA, 45 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.