- Date
- May 24, 1998, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Provo, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9732ACessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980524015589A
- Case key
- 20622
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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. A related factor was the right quartering tailwind gust.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that as he approached his destination, he was unable to contact either the airport or other air traffic to obtain wind information to find out which runway was in use. Flying over the airport, he saw that the wind sock indicated the winds were calm, so he landed on runway 13. He said the airplane 'felt soft on the left side' and began 'weaving' down the runway. The left wheel broke off the landing gear, and the airplane ground looped. A witness told the pilot he thought he 'may have experienced a right quartering tail wind gust.' An FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, said the failure appeared to be overload.
Factual narrative
On May 24, 1998, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, N9732A, a Cessna 170A, was substantially damaged during landing at Provo, Utah. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Payson, Arizona, with intermediate stops in Page, Arizona, and Panguitch, Utah. The flight departed Panguitch approximately 1100.
In his accident report, the pilot said that as he approached his destination, he was unable to contact either the airport or other air traffic to obtain wind information and to find out what runway was in use. Flying over the airport, he saw that the wind sock indicated the winds were calm so he landed on runway 13. The airplane "felt soft on the left side" and began "weaving" down the runway. The left wheel broke off the landing gear and the airplane ground looped. A witness told the pilot he thought he "may have experienced a right quartering tail wind gust."
An FAA inspector who examined the airplane said the failure appeared to be overload.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9732A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19193
- Airframe hours
- 4,796
- Engine
- Continental O-300-B, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph A. Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 1998 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- U55 · Panguitch, UT
- Destination
- PVU
- Airport
- PVU · Provo Municipal, runway 13, 7,091 × 150 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 582 total · 38 in this make and model · 582 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 36 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.