- Date
- July 10, 2026, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hartwell, GA · airport turf runway
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1838CCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 3, 2026
- 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
- 20260710010389A
- Case key
- 203398
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 compensate for the gusty and variable wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with trees during takeoff.
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 airline transport pilot was attempting to take off from a grass runway in variable wind and light rain. During the takeoff, when the airplane was about 30 ft above the ground, the airplane rolled right toward trees on the side of the runway. The pilot was able to roll the airplane’s wings level; however, he was unable to avoid colliding with trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A witness recorded video of the takeoff that captured both the airplane and a windsock. Review of the video revealed that the wind had shifted to a right crosswind during the airplane’s initial climb, immediately before the airplane rolled nearly 45 degrees, consistent with the pilot’s description of the airplane rolling to the right. The wind then shifted suddenly to a left quartering headwind as the airplane began to level; however, the airplane continued toward the trees off the right side of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1838C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25982
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 2,632
- Engine
- Continental C-145-A-7, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2026
- Destination
- 52A · Madison, GA
- Airport
- 0GA1 · Mustang Fld, runway 13/31, 2,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 27, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 20,455 total · 17.8 in this make and model · 15,932 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2.8 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KAND, 12 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI KAND 102004Z AUTO 19015KT 10SM SCT046 32/22 A3001 RMK AO2 WSHFT 1944 LTG DSNT ALQDS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.8 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.