- Date
- May 19, 2012, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Winterville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N170EDCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120519010299A
- Case key
- 83702
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 excessive bank at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 reported that he was participating in a "bean bag drop" competition at the airfield. He was flying from the left seat while his right-seat passenger was to drop the bean bag onto the target. He overflew the runway at 70 feet above the ground and banked right to see where the bean bag landed. There was a left-to-right crosswind that pushed him farther right than anticipated. As the airplane approached tall trees at the edge of the airfield, the pilot banked further right to avoid them. The airplane stalled, descended, and collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was participating in a "bean bag drop" competition at the airfield. He was flying from the left seat while his right-seat passenger was to drop the bean bag onto the target. He overflew the runway at 70 feet above the ground and banked right to see where the bean bag landed. There was a left-to-right crosswind that pushed him further right than anticipated. As he approached tall trees at the edge of the airfield, he banked further right to avoid them. The airplane stalled and continued to sink until it collided with the ground. Structural damage to the fuselage and wings resulted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane during the accident sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N170ED
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20884
- Airframe hours
- 2,913
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Highsmith Alfred C
- Registered owner
- Highsmith Alfred C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 12, 2011 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- NC47 · Winterville, NC
- Destination
- NC47 · Winterville, NC
- Airport
- NC47 · South Oak Aerodrome, runway 07, 1,850 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 560 in this make and model · 790 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- PGV, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.