Bellanca 17 31 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, March 21, 2014
On March 21, 2014 at about 2:45 am local time, a 1978 Bellanca 17 31, registered N28119, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Intl 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 failure of the right main landing gear extension spring to maintain adequate pressure, which allowed the landing gear to collapse during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2014 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Intl Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17 31 ATC, built 1978 · all 17 31s on the register
- Registration
- N28119 · registry record · serial 78-31146
- 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 approach, he conducted his usual prelanding checklist, which included verifying the landing gear position and indicator lights four separate times. He conducted an uneventful touchdown; however, during the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination of the landing gear revealed that the right main landing gear extension spring appeared to be compressed, and, when tested, it only produced 19 to 20 pounds of pressure. It is likely that this reduced pressure was not sufficient to maintain the extension of the right main landing gear. The nose and left main landing gear extension springs were also tested, and they produced about 40 pounds of pressure. The pilot reported that three new springs, all of which produced 44 pounds of pressure, were subsequently installed on the airplane, and no further landing gear system anomalies were reported after flight testing.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,062 hours in all; 842 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,062 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 7, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2014; 1 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74V Roosevelt UT at 1:50 am
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 9,596 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from SLC
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.