- Date
- June 9, 2020, 12:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Aitkin, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2681DCessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200609006609A
- Case key
- 101424
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 delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing and loss of directional control while landing with a crosswind.
Findings · 5
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 flight instructor stated that he and the student pilot made a straight-in landing approach to the turf runway with a 6 to 7 knot right crosswind. The student intended to make a full-stall landing with the wing flaps extended 20°. Upon touchdown there was a wind gust, which caused the airplane to bounce and drift left over the runway. The flight instructor told the student pilot to add engine power to abort the landing. The student pilot increased engine power, but the airplane continued drifting left over the runway. The airplane bounced a second time, at which time the flight instructor took control of the airplane. The flight instructor stated that the airplane was "skimming the grass" and was "behind the power curve" as he attempted to regain control of the airplane and establish a climb. The airplane impacted the airport perimeter fence about 70 yards left of the runway edge. An engine mount support tube and both wings were substantially damaged during the accident. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2681D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20833
- Built
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 2,538
- Engine
- Continental C145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 23, 2019 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- BRD · Brainerd, MN
- Destination
- AIT · Aitkin, MN
- Airport
- AIT · Aitkin Municipal Airport, runway 08, 3,123 × 140 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 18, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,984.5 total · 113 in this make and model · 1,436 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 88 total · 88 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.62 inHg
- Observed at
- AIT
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.