- Date
- December 11, 2010, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1634DCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20101211054139A
- Case key
- 78042
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 flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
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
During the landing rollout on the instructional flight, the airplane encountered a right crosswind and started veering to the right. According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), he took the controls just as a wind gust struck the right side of the airplane, which resulted in the left wingtip striking the runway. The CFI stated full opposite control was insufficient to prevent the right wing from rising and the left wing tip from scraping the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left aileron.
Factual narrative
The pilot was receiving dual instruction. During the landing roll out with a right crosswind the airplane started veering to the right. The flight instructor took control just as a wind gust struck the right side of the airplane, which resulted in the left wingtip striking the runway. The flight instructor stated full opposite control was insufficient to prevent to right wing from rising and the left wingtip from scraping the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left aileron.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1634D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20276
- Engine
- Cont Motor 0-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IWS · Houston, TX
- Destination
- IWS · Houston, TX
- Airport
- IWS · West Houston, runway 15, 4,000 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 7, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,670 total · 5 in this make and model · 4,498 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,855 total · 1 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- SGR
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.3 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.