GAA20CA082

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 170 · Albuquerque, NM · October 29, 2019

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 29, 2019, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N3016ACessna 170
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 16, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20191029022199A
Case key
100589

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 receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control and his inadvertent left brake pedal application during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground-loop.

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna 170B: 91 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 170B: 74 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Landing gear system: brakeAircraft › Aircraft systems · Unintentional use/operationCessna 170B: 3 casesAll aircraft: 297 casesProbable cause

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 receiving instruction for his tailwheel endorsement reported that he and the flight instructor were performing touch-and-go landings on the asphalt surface runway. The airplane was equipped with toe brakes, and after landing, he added power to abort the landing and applied right rudder as the airspeed accelerated to 30 knots. He recalled that he held the right rudder pedal application "too long" and that the airplane veered right. He attempted to correct the right veer by applying left rudder but overcorrected, and the instructor took the controls and applied full deflection of the right rudder. The airplane did not respond to the instructor's right rudder input, and he then applied left aileron. The pilot kept his feet on the pedals and inadvertently applied left brake. The airplane was side loaded to the right, and the right wing struck the ground. The instructor held his control inputs to direct the airplane to the right, but the right wing struck the ground again before the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The wheels dug into dirt on the left side of the runway, the elevator struck the ground, and the right wing struck the ground a third time before the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

The pilot receiving instruction for his tailwheel endorsement reported that, he and the instructor were performing touch-and-go landings and takeoffs on the asphalt surface runway. The airplane was equipped with toe brakes, and after landing, he added power to abort the landing, and also applied right rudder as the airspeed accelerated to 30 knots. He recalled that he held the right rudder pedal application "too long" and the airplane veered to the right. He corrected the right veer by applying left rudder but overcorrected and the flight instructor came on the controls and applied full deflection of the right rudder. The airplane did not respond to the instructor's right rudder input, and he applied left aileron. The pilot receiving instruction kept his feet on the pedals and inadvertently applied left brake. The airplane was side loaded to the right, and the right wing struck the ground. The instructor held his control inputs to direct the airplane to the right, but the right wing struck the ground a second time prior to exiting the left side of the runway. The airplane's heading was about 60° to the left of the runway heading, and the wheels dug into the dirt on the left side of the runway and the elevator struck the ground, and the right wing struck the ground a third time before the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and the right elevator. Additionally, the pilot receiving instruction was the owner of the airplane, and reported that he, "had installed removable 1 (inch) blocks on the lower portion of the rudder/brake pedals to reduce the required ankle deflection and allow for applying rudder controls with less likelihood of simultaneously applying brake inputs." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N3016A
Reported as
Cessna 170 (B)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
25660
Built
1953
Airframe hours
3,901.5
Engine
Continental C145-2H, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Perry Aeronautical Services Llc
Registered owner
Perry Aeronautical Services Llc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Unknown · February 27, 2019
Departed
AEG · Albuquerque, NM
Destination
AEG · Albuquerque, NM
Airport
AEG · Double Eagle Ii, runway 22, 7,398 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
73
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Private, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 13, 2019
Seat
Right
Flight hours
7,041 total · 589 in this make and model · 6,220 as pilot in command · 67.5 in the last 90 days · 12.3 in the last 30 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot
Age
67
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
BasicMed
Last flight review
June 7, 2019
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
753 total · 2.9 in this make and model · 657 as pilot in command · 25.3 in the last 90 days · 6.1 in the last 30 days · 1.3 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
21 °F, dew point 9 °F
Altimeter
29.96 inHg
Observed at
KAEG

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 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 N3016A · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.