- Date
- April 25, 2010, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- White Bear Lake, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3201ACessna 170-B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100425032789A
- Case key
- 75841
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 flight instructor's inadequate attempted recovery from a bounced landing and the student pilot's abrupt use of the brakes, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot successfully completed crosswind landings at a grass airstrip prior to making a landing on runway 31 back at the departure grass airstrip. The winds were from 360 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The CFI reported that when the airplane was about 30 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered an “unexpected strong down flow of wind (wind shear)” coming over the tree line on the northeast side of the runway that caused the airplane to hit the ground hard. The CFI took the controls prior to the airplane hitting the ground. The airplane bounced and the CFI attempted to recover the airplane, but “didn’t have time to explain to the student what was happening.” Both pilots were on the controls when the airplane touched down the second time. The CFI reported that both brakes were “locked” and the airplane skidded for about 75 feet before the airplane nosed over. He reported that he could not counteract the student pilot’s brake input.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot successfully completed crosswind landings at a grass airstrip prior to making a landing on runway 31 back at the departure grass airstrip. The winds were from 360 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The CFI reported that when the airplane was about 30 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered an “unexpected strong down flow of wind (wind shear)” coming over the tree line on the northeast side of the runway that caused the airplane to hit the ground hard. The CFI took the controls prior to the airplane hitting the ground. The airplane bounced and the CFI attempted to recover the airplane, but “didn’t have time to explain to the student what was happening.” Both pilots were on the controls when the airplane touched down the second time. The CFI reported that both brakes were “locked” and the airplane skidded for about 75 feet before the airplane nosed over. He reported that he could not counteract the student pilot’s brake input.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3201A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170-B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25845
- Engine
- Continental O-300-C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Darrly LeMire
- Registered owner
- Aircraft Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 6MN9 · White Bear Lake, MN
- Destination
- 6MN9 · White Bear Lake, MN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 6MN9 · Benson Airport, runway 31, 2,000 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 63
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 5,412 total · 37 in this make and model · 5,268 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 11 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2010, 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.
Other investigations on N3201A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.