- Date
- August 4, 1999, 13:04 local (19:04 UTC)
- Place
- Casper, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4448BCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990804044959A
- Case key
- 46923
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 selection of a wrong runway for landing and his failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During landing after a cross-country flight, the aircraft departed the side of the runway as a result of a ground loop. The pilot had been cleared to land on runway 8 and performed the landing on runway 3. Wind at the time was recorded to be from 090 degrees at 14 knots. The calculated headwind component was 7 knots and the calculated crosswind component was 12 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 4, 1999, at 1304 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N4448B, sustained substantial damage when it departed the right side of the runway during landing roll at Natrona County International Airport, Casper, Wyoming. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and student pilot/passenger were not injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight which originated from Knoxville, Iowa, at 1000 central daylight time.
At the time of the occurrence, the pilot/flight instructor was occupying the right seat and the student pilot/ passenger was occupying the left seat.
According to the pilot, she was cleared to land the aircraft on runway 03 and the ATIS reported the wind to be from 070 at 12 knots with gusts to 18 knots. The pilot said that near the end of the landing roll the plane started to swerve to the right and she applied left brake. She said the left brake "went to the floor and didn't help", and a ground loop to the right occurred.
According to tower personnel, the pilot was cleared to land on runway 8 but lined up and landed on runway 3. The recorded wind at the time of the occurrence was 090 at 14 knots.
Based on the recorded wind and the runway used, the calculated head wind component was 7 knots and the calculated crosswind component was 12 knots.
Casper Air Service and the Federal Aviation Administration conducted an examination of the aircraft and the owner contracted repairs with Casper Air Service and Airway Structural Repair, Eaton, Colorado, who was contracted to repair the left wing. Their damage assessment is copied in a letter to the owner/pilot and is attached.
The repair station that conducted the damage assessment to the left wing noted that a Cessna 170A aileron was installed vice the proper aileron. According to information provided by the Cessna Aircraft Company, there are no known control deficiencies as a result of this type installation, but it was not approved, nor has it been tested, and the aircraft was not airworthy as a result.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4448B
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26792
- Airframe hours
- 4,250
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gold Stream Exploration, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 1999 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- OXV · Knoxville, IA
- Destination
- CPR
- Airport
- CPR · Natrona County, runway 3, 10,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 995 total · 750 in this make and model · 920 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPR
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 N4448B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.