Bellanca 17-31ATC accident near Roosevelt, Utah, June 19, 2009
On June 19, 2009 at about 3:15 am local time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC, registered N14797, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Roosevelt, Utah (Roosevelt Municipal 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 retraction of the left main landing gear due to the failure of the extension and retraction actuator arm attach bolt. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to discover the extensive elongation of the actuator attach fitting bolt hole during past annual inspections.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2009 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Roosevelt, Utah · Roosevelt Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-31ATC · all 17-31ATCs on the register
- Registration
- N14797 · no longer on the register · serial 74-31078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll, the bolt holding the left main landing gear hydraulic extension and retraction actuator to the gear support structure failed, which allowed the left main landing gear leg to retract. Further inspection determined that over time the bolt hole on the support structure had elongated to about twice its original size. This condition would have been very difficult to detect on a preflight inspection; however, it should have been detected during previous annual inspections.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Inadequate inspection
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,717 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,602 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 18, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,693 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74V Roosevelt UT at 2:40 am
- Destination: 74V Roosevelt UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 6,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.