- Date
- June 12, 2010, 20:00 local (Jun 13, 2010, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Campbellsville, KY
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4273VCessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100612036949A
- Case key
- 76304
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 during an aborted landing.
Findings · 2
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 passenger of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, a student pilot, stated that it was "coming in a little hot" for landing. It touched down "on the mains," bounced, touched down again on the left main, then "bounced to the right." After the bounce to the right, the pilot added power, and the airplane "gradually" veered into the weeds next to the runway, encountering vegetation and a ditch. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on scene revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted. The passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot, at the time of this report, was in critical condition and unable to communicate with investigators.
Factual narrative
The passenger of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, a student pilot, stated that it was "coming in a little hot" for landing. It touched down "on the mains," bounced, touched down again on the left main, then "bounced to the right." After the bounce to the right, the pilot added power, and the airplane "gradually" veered into the weeds next to the runway, encountering vegetation and a ditch. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on scene revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted. The passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot, at the time of this report, was in critical condition and unable to communicate with investigators.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4273V
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18631
- Airframe hours
- 1,780
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ernie Dale Willis
- Registered owner
- Ernie Dale Willis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2010 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- AAS · Campbellsville, KY
- Destination
- AAS · Campbellsville, KY
- Airport
- AAS · Taylor County Airport, runway 05, 5,003 × 75 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
- 69
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- DVK, 29 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.
Other investigations on N4273V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.