Bellanca 17-30 accident near Martelle, Iowa, December 7, 1988
On December 7, 1988 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30, registered N198V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Martelle, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 1988 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Martelle, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30 · all 17-30s on the register
- Registration
- N198V · registry record · serial 30214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ANTICIPATING A FUEL SHORTAGE ON A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PLT REQUESTED THE NEAREST AIRPORT FROM APPROACH CONTROL. THE NEAREST APT WAS WITHIN FIVE MILES OF HIS DESTINATION APT SO CONTINUED ON COURSE. ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION, AND HAVING SWITCHED TO HIS LAST FUEL TANK WHICH INDICATED LESS THAN 1/4 TANK, THE PRESSURE GAUGE FLICKERED INDICATING IMMINENT FUEL EXHAUSTION. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LDG ON A RURAL ROAD INSTEAD OF RISKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN UPCOMING POPULATED AREA. HE SELECTED A COUNTRY ROAD TO LAND ON WHILE HE STILL HAD POWER. DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT, THE ACFT STRUCK A ROAD SIGN CAUSING THE ACFT TO VEER INTO A DITCH. THE PLT SAID HIS FUEL COMPUTATIONS WERE BASED ON FUEL USED AND REMAINING. THE PLT DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY BEFORE DEPARTING.
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: 1,102 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,102 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,569 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1988; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAN Lansing MI at 8:40 pm
- Destination: C17 Marion IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 pm from CID, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC89LA031.