Bellanca 17-30A accident near Newport, Vermont, October 6, 1987
On October 6, 1987 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N39857, was destroyed in an accident near Newport, Vermont (Newport State airport). It was a business flight 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 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
- October 6, 1987 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Vermont · Newport State
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N39857 · no longer on the register · serial 73-30498
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG LOST POWER AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 75' AGL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING AN EMERG LANDING. AN EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT HAD A VERY LOOSELY FITTING FUEL CAP & WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES & SUMPS. THE PLT SAID HE HAD CHECKED THE FUEL DURING THE PREFLIGHT, BUT APPARENTLY THE SAMPLES WERE ALL WATER WHICH HE MISTOOK AS FUEL. THE ACDNT OCCURRED AFTER RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL.
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: 331 hours in all; 331 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 321 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Turners Falls MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.