- Date
- January 20, 2013, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2323DCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130120001039A
- Case key
- 86060
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 control of the airplane while taking off in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 2
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 takeoff roll from runway 15, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left. The airplane departed the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer and firewall were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the nearest facility recorded the wind from 080 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 22 knots.
Factual narrative
During the takeoff roll from runway 15, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left. The airplane departed the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer and firewall were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. Wind at the time of the accident was recorded as 080 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 22 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2323D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20475
- Airframe hours
- 6,232
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2012
- Departed
- KEIK · Erie, CO
- Destination
- KCYS · Cheyenne, WY
- Airport
- KEIK · Erie Municipal Airport, runway 15, 4,700 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 3, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,692 total · 41 in this make and model · 1,452 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KEIK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 367 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 N2323D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.