Final report reveals cause of February airplane crash in Cape Coral

The National Transportation Safety Board has released the cause of the airplane crash that occurred in Cape Coral in February.

The NTSB determined that the pilot’s failure to secure a fuel supply line resulted in a total loss of the plane’s engine power.

The airplane’s pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to ensure that recent maintenance performed on the airplane was satisfactory.

According to the NTSB, the Bellanca 17-30A, N282SV, was substantially damaged in the crash near Cape Coral.

The pilot departed from Pine Shadows Airpark in Fort Myers and was airborne for about five minutes when the engine lost total power at an altitude of 1,500 feet.

The pilot stated that the airplane’s tanks contained 84 gallons of fuel at the time of the takeoff, and it had not flown or been refueled since December 2023.

He said he performed a full preflight inspection the night before the accident; the fuel tanks were sampled then, and no contamination was noted.

The pilot stated that, before takeoff, he also completed an engine run-up with no problems noted, and all three fuel gauges showed “full.” The pilot reportedly did not have any difficulties starting the engine.

The pilot was unable to restore engine power and elected to land in a residential neighborhood; however, during the approach, the airplane contacted powerlines before it touched down in the grass of a divided highway and skidded into the roadway.

The wreckage was recovered to an aircraft salvage facility where an examination of the airframe and engine was performed.

The pilot was not injured.