NTSB DEN93LA006 — 1992-10-17 · GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N14695

Make / Model: BELLANCA 17-30A
Year of manufacture: 1974 · 18 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19740419
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0BCAB

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N14695 Bellanca 17-30A None

Probable cause & findings

FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR UPPER DRAG STRUT BRACKET DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING.

Factual narrative

WHEN THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT MADE A LOW PASS AND CONTROL TOWER PERSONNEL ADVISED HIM THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. WHEN THE AIRPLANE LANDED, IT SWERVED OFF THE RUNWAY AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE UPPER DRAG STRUT BRACKET WAS BROKEN. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FRACTURED PIECES 'EXHIBITED FEATURES TYPICAL OF FATIGUE CRACKING' AT MULTIPLE POINTS OF ORIGIN AND 'OVERSTRESS SEPARATIONS.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_DEN93LA006.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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