Plane's Last FAA Inspection Was Over Two Decades Ago

The NTSB says a man who crash landed his Bellanca BL-17-30 Super Viking (file photo below) in Lantana, FL last month wasn't licensed -- and the plane was 22 years out of inspection.

Allan Schultz, 71, suffered only a broken nose and other slight injuries when his plane's engine failed on approach to Palm Beach County Park Airport on November 13. The plane went down in a residential neighborhood taking out power lines, hitting the roof of a house and damaging a parked car.

The aircraft was substantially damaged.

A report on the NTSB's website says the Schultz -- not an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic -- performed all the maintenance on the aircraft. The plane's last inspection according to its logs was in January of 1984.

A post-crash inspection revealed no anomalies with the airplane's fuel, electrical and induction systems. The only fuel the inspector found in the aircraft or around the crash site was about six to eight ounces of auto fuel in the plane's right tank. The aircraft had no STC for the use of auto fuel.

The NTSB report says Schultz's license was suspended in November of 1996 for unspecified reasons. There was no information on his pilot experience. The report also says his latest medical exam was in June of 1996, but not whether he was medically cleared to fly.

According to local reports, it doesn't appear local law enforcement will pursue criminal charges against Schultz. Sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera told the Palm Beach Post, "We handle it on a rescue level. Once they (federal investigators) come on scene, they take jurisdiction."

It's unclear at this point what action, if any, the FAA will take.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told the Post, "There is no criminal investigation whatsoever. We do not enforce criminal (violations). We do violations of air safety regulations: letters of warning up to fines to suspensions of a pilot certificate."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov