Bellanca 17-31ATC accident near Ukiah, OR

On June 11, 2011, a Bellanca 17-31ATC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ukiah, OR. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

June 11, 2011

Place

Ukiah, OR

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-31ATC · Airplane

Injuries

3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

45.083°N, 118.667°W

NTSB ID

20110612X95019

Official records · WPR11FA256

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Audio File of Pilot Briefing: Recording (ZIP), on ntsb.gov
• ATC Radar Information: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 11, 2011, about 1601 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC, N79BF, was substantially damaged when it descended rapidly from cruise flight, and impacted terrain in the Umatilla National Forest near Ukiah, Oregon. The owner-pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Airport personnel stated that the pilot kept the airplane in a hangar at The Dalles Airport (DLS), Dallesport, Washington. According to relatives of the pilot and passengers, the pilot and one of the passengers were neighbors, and that passenger reportedly asked the pilot to fly him to Casper, Wyoming, in order to attend a rodeo in which his daughter was participating. About 0800 on the morning of the accident, the pilot telephoned Lockheed Martin Flight Service (LMFS) for a weather briefing. Airport fueling records indicated that 39 gallons of fuel were purchased at DLS about 1500 the same day, and that the purchase was paid for with the passenger's credit card. Examination of ground-based radar tracking data indicated that the first target associated with the airplane was acquired at 1502, about 8.5 miles east of DLS, at an indicated altitude of 2,000 feet. The airplane followed a curving course to the southeast for another 28 miles, and then tracked straight for 53 miles, on a course of 084 degrees true. At the end of that track, the indicated altitude was 13,500 feet. The airplane then turned south, leveled at about 14,500 feet, and flew ano

Probable cause

The non-instrument-rated pilot's decision to conduct a visual flight rules flight over mountainous terrain into a region covered by clouds, which likely resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control.

More accidents in OR

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Browse: Oregon · Bellanca aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.