- Date
- February 27, 2009, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Homer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2332DCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 73505
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a ground loop and substantial damage to the airplane. Factors contributing to the accident were a tailwind, and the pilot's decision to land downwind.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel airplane on a hard-surfaced runway with approximately a 9 knot tailwind. During the landing roll, the airplane swerved, and when he could not correct the swerve with the rudder and brakes, he attempted to rapidly apply engine power to gain more control, but the engine hesitated, and the airplane did a ground loop to the right, striking the left wing on the runway. During the ground loop the left aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel airplane on a hard-surfaced runway with approximately a 9 knot tailwind. During the landing roll, the airplane swerved, and when he could not correct the swerve with the rudder and brakes, he attempted to rapidly apply engine power to gain more control, but the engine hesitated, and the airplane did a ground loop to the right, striking the left wing on the runway. During the ground loop the left aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2332D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20484
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Quinn Jerry A
- Registered owner
- Quinn Jerry A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Homer, AK
- Airport
- HOM · Homer, runway 21, 6,701 × 150 ft
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 48 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 9 knots
- Observed at
- PAHO