- Date
- September 16, 2011, 18:15 local (Sep 17, 2011, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4597CCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Fairbanks FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110916021709A
- Case key
- 81858
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 landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience/training in tailwheel-equipped airplanes.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel airstrip. During the landing roll, the airplane ground-looped to the left and the right wing struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane and that the accident could have been prevented with increased training time in tailwheel-equipped airplanes.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel airstrip. During the landing roll, the airplane ground looped to the left, and the right wing struck the ground. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot indicated there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the accident could have been prevented with increased training time in tailwheel operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4597C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25541
- Airframe hours
- 5,491
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 2011
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- NA · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- NA · Blue Sky Mine, runway 36, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 114 total · 23 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.