# NTSB LAX06CA219: Cessna 170B, N2924D, Vacaville, CA, June 28, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 28, 2006, 03:35 local (10:35 UTC) - Place: Vacaville, CA - Coordinates: 38.383888, -121.970832 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3839&lon=-121.9708&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 3, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 63999 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX06CA219 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63999/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA219 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A contributing factor was pilot fatigue. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - roll/run - fatigue(lack of sleep), pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - tailwind - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - ground loop/swerve - not corrected, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, takeoff - roll/run - terrain condition - berm ## Analysis The airplane veered off the side of the runway and ground looped. The pilot flew 2.7 hours from Watsonville to Little River for fuel, and then to Ukiah where he and his family ate dinner and spent the night. They departed Ukiah at 0800, and flew to Brookings, Oregon, for fuel. They then flew to North Bend where they refueled and added oil to the airplane, ate lunch, and shopped. At 1400, they departed North Bend, flew up the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, and landed at Astoria, Oregon, for fuel and coffee. They departed Astoria and flew to Myrtle Creek, arriving there about 2015. The pilot's family exited the airplane, and he performed three full-stop solo landings for night currency. The family boarded and they proceeded to Crescent City, California, where the airplane was refueled. They departed Crescent City airport with full fuel and flew to the Nut Tree Airport, Vacaville, California. The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) for Vacaville reported the winds to be calm, and the pilot landed on runway 20 without incident. The pilot refueled the airplane at idle power because he had experienced difficulty in starting the engine in Crescent City. He then taxied to runway 2 for takeoff. He raised the tail of the airplane at a lower airspeed than normal. The airplane yawed to the left and the pilot applied full right rudder. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and bounced hard on a dirt berm. It spun around 180 degrees before coming to rest beside the runway. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed a steady 1- to 2-knot wind from 200 degrees. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The wind conditions at Vacaville, at 0353, were reported to be from 200 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot flew a total of 17.4 hours in 2 days with little sleep. On the day of the accident, the pilot had been awake about 21 hours and had flown 15 hours. ## Factual narrative On June 28, 2006, about 0335 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N2924D, veered off the side of the runway and ground looped at Nut Tree Airport, Vacaville, California. Monterey Bay Aviation, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The renter commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight was departing with a planned destination of Watsonville Municipal Airport, Watsonville, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot submitted a written report. He flew 2.7 hours from Watsonville to Little River for fuel and then to Ukiah where he and his family ate dinner and spent the night. On the day of the accident they departed Ukiah at 0800, stopped at Shelter Cove at 0900, and then flew to Brookings, Oregon, for fuel. They flew to North Bend where they refueled and added oil to the airplane, ate lunch, and shopped. At 1400, they departed North Bend, flew up the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, and landed at Astoria for fuel and coffee. They departed Astoria and flew to Myrtle Creek, arriving there at about 2015. The pilot's family exited the airplane, and he performed three full-stop solo landings for night currency. The family boarded and the flight proceeded to Crescent City, California, where the airplane was refueled. The flight departed Crescent City airport with full fuel and the pilot navigated by pilotage to the Nut Tree airport. The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) for Vacaville reported the winds to be calm, and the pilot landed the airplane on runway 20 without incident. He decided to refuel the airplane at idle power, because he had experienced difficulty in starting the engine in Crescent City. The pilot then taxied to runway 2 for takeoff. He raised the tail of the airplane at a lower airspeed than normal. The airplane yawed to the left and the pilot immediately applied full right rudder. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and bounced hard on a dirt berm. It spun around 180 degrees before coming to rest beside the runway. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed a steady 1- to 2-knot wind from 200 degrees. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The wind conditions at Vacaville, at 0353, were reported to be from 200 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot flew a total of 17.4 hours in 2 days with little sleep. When he signed out the airplane, the Hobbs read 34.3. The airport manager reported the Hobbs and tachometer at the time of the accident to be 51.7 and 2823.3, respectively. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2924D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2924D-2020-08-02), registration cancelled 2020-08-02, S/N 26867, built 1955 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 170B - Registry model: [Cessna 170B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170b) (registry code 2072306) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 26867 - Engines: Continental O-300A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Montery Bay Aviation, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2006, 45 hours before - Departed: VCV, Vacaville, CA - Destination: WVI, Watsonville, CA - Airport: VCB, Nut Tree, runway 2, 4,700 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 558 total, 25 in this make and model, 411 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 14 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 200° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.88 inHg - Observed at: VCB ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060628014679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060628014679A), Jun 28, 2006: Cessna 170B, Vacaville, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) After refueling the aircraft, the pilot attempted a downwind take-off. The pilot lost directional control and ground looped the aircraft. The aircraft… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.