- Date
- August 25, 2024, 14:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5673BCessna 305
- 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
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240825017409A
- Case key
- 195010
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 airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent landing gear collapse. Contributing was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 receiving instruction from a flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane to become a glider tow pilot. The pilot landed the airplane on the grass next to the paved runway, an area that included a paved taxiway that crossed over it. Upon reaching the taxiway the airplane bounced and swerved to the right. The pilot corrected with rudder application and braking, but the airplane continued its right turn and ground looped. During the ground loop the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the ground, substantially damaging it. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor also reported that he could have been faster in taking control of the airplane after it initially began to turn, but had relaxed because they were in the roll out phase of the landing, and because the pilot had previously landed the airplane without issue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5673B
- Reported as
- Cessna 305 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51-7416
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 8,427.6
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-470-11, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Greater Boston Soaring Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Greater Boston Soaring Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 2024 · 131.9 hours before
- Departed
- FIT · Fitchburg, MA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 3B3 · Sterling
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 369
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 9, 2023
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,094 total · 334 in this make and model · 1,754 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 19, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 14 in this make and model · 247 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- FIT, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KFIT 252052Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM BKN100 26/17 A3019 RMK AO2 RAB06E30 SLP223 P0000 60000 T02610172 58009
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.3 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 N5673B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.