Bellanca 17-31A accident near Yamhill, Oregon, April 7, 1985
On April 7, 1985 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-31A, registered N9705E, was destroyed in an accident near Yamhill, Oregon (Flying M Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- April 7, 1985 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Yamhill, Oregon · Flying M Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31A · all 17-31As on the register
- Registration
- N9705E · no longer on the register · serial 77-32-168
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT APCH THE AIRSTRIP WITH EXCESSIVE SPEED. TOUCHDOWN ON THE RWY WAS BEYOND THE HALFWAY POINT & THE ACFT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. POWER WAS APPLIED FOR AN APPARENT GO-AROUND. THE ACFT CLEARED TALL TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, BUT CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, 'SHAKING AND YAWING.' THE ACFT THEN FELL OFF ON THE LEFT WING & ROLLED 180 DEGREES TO A VERTICAL ATTITUDE BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. A POST-IMPACT FIRE IMMEDIATELY ENSUED, TOTALLY CONSUMING THE WOOD & FABRIC COMPONENTS OF THE ACFT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS IN THE FULL NOSE-UP POSITION. BELLANCA PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT WITH THE ELEVATOR TRIM IN THAT POSITION & WITH FULL POWER APPLIED, CONTROL FORCES TO REDUCE THE PITCH WOULD BE VERY HIGH & WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE BOTH HANDS.
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: 850 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1984; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1E5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 60S Vancouver WA at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,130 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 27,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:17 pm from HIO, 30 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.
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.