Bellanca BL-17-30 accident near Athens, Georgia, September 11, 1999
On September 11, 1999 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Bellanca BL-17-30, registered N6676V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Athens, Georgia (Athens/Ben Epps airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel management resulting in loss of engine power on approach due to fuel starvation and damage to the aircraft during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1999 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Athens, Georgia · Athens/Ben Epps · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca BL-17-30
- Registration
- N6676V · no longer on the register · serial 30046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, his intention was to fly one or two laps around the airport landing pattern, and his fuel distribution at departure was full auxiliary tanks, 10 gallons in the right main and 5 to 6 gallons in the left main. He took off with the fuel selector on the right main and twenty minutes later, on approach to the airport, the engine surged. He switched the fuel selector to an aux tank and switched on the boost pump, but could not regain power to the engine. He made a forced landing to a parking lot/driveway, damaging the airplane and a residential fence. The pilot characterized the occurrence as a case of running the tank dry at too low an altitude to switch tanks and regain engine 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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,478 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,655 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,327 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1999; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AHN at 5:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from AHN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.