Bellanca 17-30A accident near Cloverdale, California, April 27, 2012
On April 27, 2012 at about 5:32 pm local time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registered N80SV, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Cloverdale, California (Cloverdale 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 pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power during climb due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2012 · about 5:32 pm local time
- Place
- Cloverdale, California · Cloverdale Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N80SV · no longer on the register · serial 80-30971
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the initial climb, about 2,000 feet above the ground, he switched to the auxiliary fuel tank and the engine lost power. He applied full throttle and mixture, as well as established a glideslope to return to the airport. The airplane descended faster than the pilot expected and impacted terrain short of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The right, left, and auxiliary fuel tanks were all about a quarter full. The airplane flight manual states that the fuel selector valve should be on the main tank containing the most fuel during takeoff and landing. The auxiliary tank should only be used in level flight. During a climb, with the auxiliary fuel tank about one-quarter full, it is likely that fuel within the tank was insufficient to exit the tank through the fuel feed and therefore starved the engine of fuel.
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
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,564 hours in all; 384 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 30, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2012; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O60 Cloverdale CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,147 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from STS, 18 miles away
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.