# NTSB CEN21LA206: Cessna 170B, N2955D, Curtis, NE, April 19, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 18, 2021, 19:45 local (Apr 19, 2021, 00:45 UTC) - Place: Curtis, NE - Coordinates: 40.63875, -100.47341 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6388&lon=-100.4734&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - LNK FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103007 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA206 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103007/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103007 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA206 ## Probable cause Water contamination of the airplane’s fuel supply which resulted in a total loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Oversight: equipment monitoring](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04032025): Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring · Airport; cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04032025/cases.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04032025/cases.md) - [Aircraft capability: landing distance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061030): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible; cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061030/cases.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 68 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 225 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 170B, 29 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072306), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he took off from his private airstrip and flew for about 30 minutes before landing at a nearby airport for fuel. After fueling with 24 gallons of fuel, he did not perform a pre-takeoff run-up of the engine and departed the airport. About 1.5 miles from the airport the engine sputtered and lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a small field. During the landing roll as the airplane was approaching the end of the field, the pilot applied heavy braking which caused the airplane to nose down coming to rest on it nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left outboard wing. The pilot reported that after the accident he sampled the fuel from the wing tanks and gascolator. The fuel sample from the gascolator was about one-half water and one-half fuel. The wing tank samples contained all water. The pilot provided photographs of the airport above ground fuel tank including photographs of the interior of the tank. The tank interior showed a large amount of rusted metal in the bottom of the tank. The airport manager reported that the airport fuel tank was about 30 years old and was of double wall construction. Water had entered the space between the inner and outer walls of the tank and the inner tank had rusted by allowing water to enter the inner tank and fuel supply. The tank did not have filtering on the outlet. The airport ordered a new tank and planned to include filters on the outlet, including a water separating filter. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2955D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2955D), registered now, S/N 26898, built 1955 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 170B - Registry model: [Cessna 170B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170b) (registry code 2072306) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 26898 - Year built: 1955 - Engines: Continental O-300A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Walsh David E - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 1, 2021, 2 hours before - Airport: 47V, Curtis Muni - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 890 total, 380 in this make and model, 890 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KMCK, 27 nm away - METAR: METAR KMCK 190053Z AUTO 34005KT 10SM CLR 15/M02 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP147 T01501017= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210418006489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210418006489A), Apr 18, 2021: Cessna 170B, Curtis, NE, Substantial damage. After refueling aircraft at K47V pilot departed and shortly lost all engine power. Pilot attempted to restart engine unsuccessfully. Pilot made emergency… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103007. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12682070&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photos (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 4 photos, 169 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12681528&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Docket%20Photo%20array%20template-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation with airport manager (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 175 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12681953&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC-%20Airport%20manager-Rel.pdf - Weather information (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 121 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12682100&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=weather-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.