# Accident 20200216000149A: Cessna 170, Valley Center, KS, February 16, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 16, 2020, 15:02 local time - Place: Valley Center, KS - Airport: High Point Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.8428° N, 97.3514° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8428&lon=-97.3514&mi=10 - Aircraft: N170RH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N170RH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 170 (registry code 2072302, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental C145 series (registry code 17012, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c145-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 170 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C145 SERIES - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 6,200 total, 8 in this make and model, 84 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20TA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20TA088) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200216000149A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 16 FEB 2020 I WAS NOTIFIED OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT IN VALLEY CENTER, KS AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HOURS LOCAL TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANUFACTURED BY CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY IN 1947. THE REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS N170RH, SERIAL NUMBER 18030. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD CRASHED JUST AFTER TAKEOFF. I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS LOCAL TIME. THE FIRST CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT HAD WITH THE GROUND WAS 378 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 488 FEET SOUTH OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING IN A NORTH WEST DIRECTION. I WAS CONTACTED BY THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 17 AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT LOCATED IN VALLEY CENTER, KS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH AND WAS MAKING FULL POWER SO HE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF ROLL. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ROTATE AND AS HE REACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY HE WAS FORCED TO ROTATE AND PULL BACK HARD. MR. ELLIOTT ALSO STATED THAT HE REDUCED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AND CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO BREAK JUST ABOVE THE WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY. THE BROKEN WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET EAST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE 4 PEOPLE ON THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE PILOT. THE PILOT HAD MINOR INJURIES TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE FROM STRIKING THE LEFT DOOR PILLAR OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. NONE OF THE REMAINING PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION AND THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT WAS 2,182 LBS. AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS CALCULATED AS 42.6 INCHES. THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE LISTED IN THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET IS LISTED AS 2200 LBS MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE WITHIN ALLOWABLE LIMITS. THE RUNWAY AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT IS 2400 FEET LONG AND 100 FEET WIDE. IT IS A TURF RUNWAY AND THE CONDITION WAS REPORTED AS WET AND SOFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALCULATED THAT HIS TAKE OFF WITH THE EXISTING CONDITIONS SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 1400 FEET. IT WAS REPORTED TO THIS INSPECTOR THAT THE FIRST 100 FEET OF THE RUNWAY WAS UNUSABLE DUE TO STANDING WATER AND MUD WHICH LEFT APPROXIMATELY 2100 FEET OF USABLE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE EXAMINED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE CURRENT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED TO THE POINT THAT ALL THE PRIMARY CONTROL SURFACES WERE MOVEABLE BUT DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT THE CONNECTIONS TO THE CABIN CONTROLS COULD NOT BE FULLY VERIFIED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN20TA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20TA088), Feb 16, 2020: Cessna 170 (N170RH), Valley Center, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff when the airplane passed the point where he had anticipated the liftoff would occur. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.