- Date
- May 2, 2014, 17:45 local (May 3, 2014, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3469CCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140502005839A
- Case key
- 89170
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 recognize a wind shift, resulting in a tailwind landing, loss of control, and ground loop.
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 student pilot was practicing solo takeoff and landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard surfaced runway. At the beginning of the flight, the winds were light and variable, but during the last landing, the wind had shifted to a slight tailwind. During the landing, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was practicing solo takeoff and landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard surfaced runway. At the beginning of the flight, the winds were light and variable, but during the last landing, the wind had shifted to a slight tailwind. During the landing, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3469C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26512
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 8,137
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 2014 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Airport
- SXQ · Soldotna, runway 07, 5,000 × 132 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 74 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 337 KB 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.
Other investigations on N3469C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.