- Date
- December 5, 2016, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9002ACessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161205023519A
- Case key
- 94477
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 during the landing roll.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered left of centerline and that he attempted to correct with right brake input but was unsuccessful. The airplane continued to veer off the runway to the left, ground looped, and the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 120° at 4 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane veered left of center line, he attempted to correct with right brake input, but was unsuccessful. The airplane continued to veer off the runway to the left, ground looped, and the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport, revealed that, about 10 minutes before the accident the wind was 120° at 4 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9002A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18757
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 4,151
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 2016
- Departed
- MTV · Martinsville, VA
- Destination
- MTV · Martinsville, VA
- Airport
- MTV · Blue Ridge, runway 30, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 6, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,654 total · 646 in this make and model · 1,616 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.