N8869V

On March 25, 2022, about 1630 central standard time, a Bellanca 17-30A airplane, N8869V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ash Flat, Arkansas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.

The 80-hour pilot reported that he departed the Baxter County Airport (KBPK), Mountain Home, Arkansas, and it was the airplane’s first flight since the annual inspection. The flight back to the Sharp County Regional Airport (KCVK), Ash Flat, Arkansas, was uneventful until the airplane approached runway 22 to land. The pilot stated that when the airplane flew over the runway numbers, the wind suddenly became “super gusty.” When the airplane became unstable, he performed a go-around. When he added throttle, the engine stopped producing power and due to the low altitude, he was unable to perform an engine restart. He performed a forced landing near the runway but impacted terrain.

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. He confirmed flight control continuity. In addition, he found the right fuel tank full and the left fuel tank with a significant amount of fuel.

The airplane was transported to a salvage facility for further examination. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the engine controls remained properly secured to the engine and actuated normally. The left magneto was found to contain water; however, the wreckage had been stored outside partially tarped. When opening the secured baggage compartment, a fuel tester was found full of water, suggesting the water present in the magneto likely accumulated during storage. No other anomalies were detected with the engine.

The airplane’s EDM-900 was downloaded, and the information plotted. The data was not time coded but did show a sharp reduction of horsepower, exhaust gas temperatures, fuel flow, and rpm, that restored briefly before dropping off, likely due to the accident.

The responding FAA inspector located a GoPro camera in the wreckage and retrieved the files. The files were submitted to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for summary and sound spectrum analysis. The video showed that the airplane was attempting to land on runway 22. A flag was visible on the airport property and the wind appeared to be from the northwest. The airplane continued over the runway markings, but the airplane appeared to float. The airplane’s stall warning horn was briefly audible. A sound consistent with a slight increase in engine rpm was detected as the nose of the airplane drifted to the left and the airplane was no longer aligned with the centerline of the runway. The nose of the airplane pitched up and the stall warning horn was briefly heard, and the airplane appeared to slowly gain altitude. The airplane’s pitch angle continued to increase, and the stall warning horn sounded. Immediately thereafter, the engine rpm decreased and popping sounds consistent with a rough running engine were noted. A few seconds later the popping noises ceased, and the engine rpm returned to a higher power setting. The pitch angle continued to increase, and the stall warning horn was audible. The airplane banked left in what appeared to be a 70- to 80-degree left bank; it lost altitude and impacted terrain.

The NTSB sound spectrum analysis estimated the speed of the engine to be about 1,900 rpm when the airplane passed over the runway 22 markings. After the sounds of the rough running engine, which lasted about 6 seconds, the engine speed increased to about 2,100 rpm about 9 seconds before impact, which gradually decreased to 1,700 rpm at impact.

The Sharp Country Airport is a non-towered airport. It does not have an Automated Weather Observing System but does have a wind indicator located on the field. The closest aviation weather station is located 32 nautical miles away and at 1656 reported a wind from 290° at 16 knots.