# Accident 20200903017769A: Cessna 170A, Morrisville, VT, September 3, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 3, 2020, 11:21 local time - Place: Morrisville, VT - Airport: Morrisville-Stowe State Airpor - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 44.5369° N, 72.6139° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5369&lon=-72.6139&mi=10 - Aircraft: N170JS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N170JS-2021-02-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 170A (registry code 2072304, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental C145 series (registry code 17012, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c145-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 170A - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C145 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,200 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA307](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA307) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200903017769A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT THE MORRISVILLE-STOWE STATE AIRPORT (KMVL) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS ON 09/03/2020 IN A 1950 CESSNA 170A N170JS. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS PRECEDED BY A SERIES OF NORMAL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS (TOUCH AND GOES) ON THE GRASS RUNWAY ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 01/19. THE FINAL TAKE-OFF WAS TO THE NORTH. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS BETWEEN RUNWAY 10/19 AND THE PARALLEL GRASS RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY AT THE MIDPOINT OF RUNWAY 01/19. VIDEO FROM SECURITY CAMERA: ? 11:21:07 N170JS IS SEEN ENTERING THE FRAME IN A STEEP BANKING LEFT-HAND TURN ? 11:21:09 N170JS?S LEFT WING IMPACTS THE GROUND WHILE IN A STEEP LEFT-HAND TURN OF APPROXIMATELY 110° ? 11:21:10 N170JS IMPACTS THE GROUND WITH DAMAGE OCCURRING TO THE COWL, MAIN GEAR, AND CABIN SECTION ? 11:21:12 N170JS?S RIGHT WING IMPACTS THE GROUND WITH ACCOMPANYING FUEL BURST FROM LEFT TANK RUPTURE ? 11:21:14 N170JS TAIL COMES DOWN ON TAILWHEEL ON THE EAST SIDE OF RUNWAY. EMPENNAGE DOES NOT TOUCH THE EARTH EXCEPT FOR TAILWHEEL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENT: ?LAST THURSDAY, I FLEW TO MORRISVILLE AIRPORT TO HELP PROVIDE DEMONSTRATION TO A FRIEND WHO HAD STARTED TAKING LESSONS IN THE 170 WITH A TAILWHEEL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS AND I THOUGHT BY SEEING REPETITIONS OF THE ?VISION? IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR HIS NEXT LESSON. WINDS WERE LIGHT OUT OF THE NORTH. I UTILIZED THE GRASS LANDING AREA FOR SEVERAL TAKE-OFFS, ALL WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING THIS PARTICULAR TAKE OFF (A SHORT FIELD PROCEDURE WITH TWO NOTCHES OF FLAPS, BRAKES, AFT YOKE AND FULL POWER), AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKES, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TOWARD THE DITCH IN BETWEEN THE GRASS AND THE ASPHALT. I ATTEMPTED TO STEER AWAY FROM THE DITCH WITH RUDDER, BUT WAS UNABLE AND WITH THE DITCH LOOMING AHEAD AND WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED I ROTATED AND THEN STALLED TO THE LEFT.? N170JS CAME TO REST FACING AN EASTERLY DIRECTION ON THE WEST EDGE OF RUNWAY 01/19. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE LEFT TANK AND FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ENGINE. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE INITIALLY UNRESPONSIVE AND INJURED. THE MAIN GEAR WAS CRUSHED BACKWARDS AND THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE BELLY DENTED IN. THERE WAS ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWL AND COMPARTMENT. THE LEFT WINGTIP WAS CRUMPLED UP AND THE ROOT WAS TORN AND CRUMPLED. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS CRUMPLED DOWN. THE AFT FUSELAGE AREA AND EMPENNAGE APPEARED UNDAMAGED. ## 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 ERA20CA307](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA307), Sep 3, 2020: Cessna 170 (N170JS), Morrisville, VT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with… 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.