20021013028869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 170B · Watkinsville, GA · October 13, 2002

Date: October 13, 2002 · 13:00 local
Place: Watkinsville, GA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N170LB
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL03LA004
Reported as: Cessna 170B

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Received a call on oct 15 at 1130 hrs from robert wheeler reporting that his aircraft had sustained landing gear damage during an attempted takeoff from a grass field located 13 miles south of Watkinsville on collham ferry road. Drove to the field at 1400 hrs on oct 15 and found a Cessna 170B, N170LB, in the middle of the field resting on the left wing tip with the left main wheel hub broken off and the left main landing gear strut dug into the ground. The pilot, Mr. Robert wheeler, cert. No. 1445341, stated that upon takeoff from the field his right main wheel hit an anthill causing the aluminum wheel pant to jam against the right tire and the aircraft to begin pulling hard to the right. Mr. Wheeler applied heavy brake to compensate but the jammed tire pulled the aircraft from its takeoff path of 188 degrees hard to the right at which time the left hub broke off, causing the wing to hit the ground, the strut to dig in and the aircraft to come to a rest at 105 degrees.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) RECEIVED A CALL ON OCT 15 AT 1130 HRS FROM ROBERT WHEELER REPORTING THAT HIS AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED LANDING GEAR DAMAGE DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF FROM A GRASS FIELD LOCATED 13 MILES SOUTH OF WATKINSVILLE ON COLLHAM FERRY ROAD. DROVE TO THE FIELD AT 1400 HRS ON OCT 15 AND FOUND A CESSNA 170B, N170LB, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD RESTING ON THE LEFT WING TIP WITH THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL HUB BROKEN OFF AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT DUG INTO THE GROUND. THE PILOT, MR. ROBERT WHEELER, CERT. NO. 1445341, STATED THAT UPON TAKEOFF FROM THE FIELD HIS RIGHT MAIN WHEEL HIT AN ANTHILL CAUSING THE ALUMINUM WHEEL PANT TO JAM AGAINST THE RIGHT TIRE AND THE AIRCRAFT TO BEGIN PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT. MR. WHEELER APPLIED HEAVY BRAKE TO COMPENSATE BUT THE JAMMED TIRE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT FROM ITS TAKEOFF PATH OF 188 DEGREES HARD TO THE RIGHT AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT HUB BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE WING TO HIT THE GROUND, THE STRUT TO DIG IN AND THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO A REST AT 105 DEGREES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL03LA004Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWatkinsville, GAThe pilot's inadvertent collision with an ant hill during takeoff that resulted in a ground loop and the subsequent collision collision with the ground. A factor was unsuitable terrain.Oct 13, 2002 · Substantial damage