- Date
- June 15, 2025, 10:18 local (16:18 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Morgan, CO · Runway 14
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1996CCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250615007649A
- Case key
- 200350
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane during a gusty crosswind landing.
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
The pilot was conducting a full stall (3-point) landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that after touchdown a wind gust from the right caused the airplane to roll left and ground loop. The fuselage and left wing were substantially damaged during the ground loop when the left landing gear collapsed. Based on the reported wind direction and speed at the airport, there was likely a right crosswind component of about 6 to 9 knots at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1996C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26141
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 3,278.5
- Engine
- Continental C145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2024 · 4.7 hours before
- Departed
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Destination
- FMM · Fort Morgan, CO
- Airport
- FMM · Fort Morgan Municipal Airport, runway 14, 5,731 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- FMM
- METAR
- KFMM 151615Z AUTO 18013G18KT 10SM CLR A3009 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.