- Date
- April 21, 1992, 14:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3970VCessna 170
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920421055319A
- Case key
- 5715
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. Factors to the accident were: an inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the modified aircraft.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
At the end of a pleasure flight, the pilot reported that the airplane touched down on the main landing gear first then became airborne again. The pilot increased power slightly and the airplane settled back to the runway. After the airplane touched down the second time, it veered to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and right brake, however, the airplane continued to the left and ground looped. During the turning motion, the right wing contacted the ground. The pilot also reported that the airplane had recently been outfitted with new Cessna 180 main landing gear springs and tires, which according to the pilot, made it harder to maintain directional control of the airplane during landings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3970V
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18289
- Airframe hours
- 3,478
- Engine
- Continental C-145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Chapman, Richard G.
- Registered owner
- Chapman, Richard G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 1991 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- ENA · Kenai, runway 1, 7,575 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 122 in this make and model · 192 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N3970V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.