Brown 1911 BELLANCA accident near Carson City, Nevada, May 21, 1988
On May 21, 1988 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Brown 1911 BELLANCA, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N10317, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carson City, Nevada (Carson City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1988 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Carson City, Nevada · Carson City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brown 1911 BELLANCA 1911 BELLA, amateur-built
- Registration
- N10317 · no longer on the register · serial 26
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TEST A NEW TYPE OF PROPELLER WHICH HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT NOTICED PRIOR TO ROTATION AN INCREASE IN THE RPM. AT ROTATION THE NOSE UP PITCH WAS EXCESSIVE. THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID A STALL AND STRUCK THE OVERRUN AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT/AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HE DID NOT SPECIFY THE PROPER PITCH OF THE PROPELLER TO THE PROPELLER MANUFACTURER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,850 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1987; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 680 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-173-3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 004 Carson City NV at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.