- Date
- September 15, 2000, 17:50 local (Sep 16, 2000, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Alturus, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4590CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000915010059A
- Case key
- 50294
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 inadequate compensation for the wind, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing. A factor was the faded improperly maintained windsock.
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 was unable to locate a windsock while circling the uncontrolled airport. He had obtained a preflight weather briefing from the FAA Red Bluff Flight Service Station with no adverse weather conditions noted; no local area wind information was obtained. He established a left pattern for runway 31; on final approach he determined there was a left crosswind for which he established a crab angle. On touchdown, the left wing came up, resulting in the right wing scraping the runway and a loss of directional control.
Factual narrative
On September 15, 2000, about 1750 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N4590C, was substantially damaged during landing at Alturas, California. Neither the commercial rated pilot nor the three passengers were injured. The registered owner operated the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight originated at Concord, California, at 1530.
The pilot stated that he was unable to locate a windsock while circling the uncontrolled airport. He had obtained a preflight weather briefing from the Federal Aviation Administration Red Bluff Flight Service Station, with no adverse weather conditions noted. No local area wind information was obtained. He established a left pattern for runway 31; on final approach he determined there was a left crosswind for which he established a crab angle. On touchdown, the left wing came up, resulting in the right wing scraping the runway and a loss of directional control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4590C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25534
- Airframe hours
- 5,950
- Engine
- Continental C-145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Samuel Black
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 2000 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- CCR · Concord, CA
- Destination
- AAT · Alturas, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AAT · Alturas Municipal, runway 31, 4,301 × 50 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 628 total · 38 in this make and model · 524 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 176 °F
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 N4590C · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.