Accident Details
On April 27, 2012, at approximately 1032 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registration N80SV, sustained substantial damage to both wings during an off-airport landing near Cloverdale, California. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot for a personal cross-country flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from Cloverdale Municipal Airport (060) about 1028.
Flight History
The pilot reported that during the initial climb, at approximately 2,000 feet above ground level, he rotated the fuel selector to the auxiliary fuel tank. The engine then lost power. In response, he applied full throttle and mixture control and established a glide slope to return to the airport. However, the airplane’s sink rate exceeded his expectations, and the aircraft landed in a vineyard approximately ¼ mile short of the runway. During the landing sequence, both wings sustained substantial damage.
Post-accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector conducted a post-accident examination of the engine. Thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders, and spark was obtained from the magnetos. The magneto switch was also examined and found to have no anomalies. Fuel was visually noted in both main fuel tanks and the auxiliary fuel tank. With the master switch on, the left main fuel tank gauge indicated slightly more than ¼ fuel remaining, the right main tank gauge indicated slightly less than ¼ fuel remaining, and the auxiliary tank gauge indicated approximately ¼ fuel remaining.
Airplane Flight Manual Instructions
In the performance section of the Bellanca Viking 17-30 Airplane Flight Manual, it states: "Takeoff and land with fuel selector valve on main tank containing most fuel. Use fuel from auxiliary tanks in level flight only." The limitations section of the manual specifies that a placard should be placed on the fuel selector valve stating: "Use aux tank in level flight only." The FAA Inspector reported that this placard was present in the airplane, but it was obscured by the airplane’s sheepskin interior.