- Date
- July 11, 2017, 12:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Friday Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2714DCessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170711010779A
- Case key
- 95629
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 landing.
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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, following a personal flight, he made a three-point landing on runway 16. He recalled that, during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and following touchdown, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped to the left. The airplane slid down an embankment, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and aileron. The METAR at the airport reported that the wind was from 180° at 5 knots with 10 statute miles visibility and clear skies. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that following a personal flight he made a three-point landing on runway 16. He recalled that during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and following touch down the airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped to the left. The airplane slid down an embankment and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and aileron. The METAR at the airport, reported that the wind was from 180° at 5 knots, with 10 statute miles visibility and clear skies. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2714D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25256
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 3,404.6
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 6, 2016
- Departed
- kfhr · Friday Harbor, WA
- Destination
- KFHR · Friday Harbor, WA
- Airport
- FHR · Friday Harbor, runway 16, 3,402 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 16, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 823 total · 498 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KORS, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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 N2714D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.