- Date
- July 4, 2024, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dowagiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9793ACessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- FAA Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240704007939A
- Case key
- 194629
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 and flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop with the left main landing gear axle failing, a runway excursion, and impact with the ground.
Findings · 6
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 pilot receiving instruction reported that he and the flight instructor were performing transition training in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. After landing to the dry asphalt runway and during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the left and the pilot applied right rudder and right brake. The airplane corrected to the right and the flight instructor applied left rudder and left brake to straighten the direction of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the left main landing gear axle failed, the wheel departed, and the airplane continued to travel to the right. The airplane departed the runway to the right and came to rest upright on a grass field. During the runway excursion, the left wing impacted the ground. The two occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot classified the accident as a “typical tailwheel ground loop caused by the left gear axle failing and the pilot potentially overcorrecting on rollout.” The pilot further reported that the left axle (constructed of hollow aluminum) is an original part from when the airplane was manufactured in 1950.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9793A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19254
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 3,513
- Engine
- Continental Motors C-145-2H, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2024 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- C91 · Dowagiac Muni, runway 09/27, 4,700 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,511 total · 2 in this make and model · 1,420 as pilot in command · 123 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 7 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KBEH, 15 nm away
- METAR
- KBEH 041453Z AUTO 29003KT 10SM CLR 25/20 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP143 T02500200 53012
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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 N9793A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.