Bellanca 17-30A accident near Hurricane, Utah, September 3, 2021
On September 3, 2021 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1975 Bellanca 17-30A, registered N15DQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hurricane, Utah (General Dick Stout Field). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2021 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hurricane, Utah · General Dick Stout Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 17-30A, built 1975 · all 17-30As on the register
- Registration
- N15DQ · registry record · serial 75-30773
- 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 landing he failed to extend the landing gear and attempted to initiate a go-around. The airplane attained an altitude of about 100 ft above the ground before it would no longer climb and maintain airspeed. The pilot subsequently initiated a forced landing to a nearby field with the landing gear now extended. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a barbed wire fence, substantially damaging the wings. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane other than the Auto-Axtion system, a pilot back-up device to automatically lower the landing regardless of the position of the landing gear switch, minimizing the possibility of an accidental gear-up landing did not work. The back-up system was not examined.
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 not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,128 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,025 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,239.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2021
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-K (piston); 1,243 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFLY Meadow Lake CO at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 3,282 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 3002.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from KSGU, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSGU 031656Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 26/12 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR21LA334.