- Date
- March 27, 2026, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bessemer, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3184BCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 202714
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll.
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 pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was operating in the airport traffic pattern. After completing a low approach to estimate the wind conditions, the pilot elected to land on the opposite direction runway due to a wind shift. The pilot planned to perform a three-point, full-stall landing, and during the landing flare the stall warning horn sounded. During the landing, the tailwheel contacted the runway, followed by the main landing gear, after which the airplane began heading to the left. The pilot attempted to apply corrective control inputs with the rudder, but the airplane did not respond as he expected. The airplane subsequently contacted trees off the side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3184B
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25426
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 3,484
- Engine
- Continental Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 29, 2025 · 25 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- EKY · Bessemer Ntl, runway 23, 6,007 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 504 total · 28 in this make and model · 341 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- EKY
- METAR
- METAR KEKY 272056Z AUTO 33006KT SCT055 BKN070 27/17 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP161 T02670167 56015 PWINO RVRNO $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
Other investigations on N3184B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.