- Date
- July 7, 2007, 10:04 local (17:04 UTC)
- Place
- Spanaway, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9716ACessna 170
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070707019369A
- Case key
- 66180
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 an aborted takeoff from a short and narrow runway.
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 airplane veered off the runway and nosed over in grassy terrain during an aborted takeoff. The pilot did not observe anything unusual with his airplane during his preflight inspection, and all systems appeared to be functioning normally during the engine run up. The pilot stated that he set the trim for takeoff, proceeded onto runway 34, added full engine power, and the airplane accelerated normally. When the airplane was about 1/3 of the way down the runway at the location where he expected to lift off the ground, the airplane was still on the runway. Therefore, he aborted the takeoff. The pilot said he retarded the throttle, applied brakes, and lost directional control of the airplane. The airport's runway is 1,800 feet long and 20 feet wide.
Factual narrative
On July 7, 2007, about 1004 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 170, N9716A, owned and operated by the pilot, nosed over after veering off runway 34 at the Shady Acres Airport, Spanaway, Washington. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and one of the two passengers received minor injuries. The second passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that nothing unusual was observed with his airplane during the preflight inspection. All systems appeared to be functioning normally during the engine run up. The pilot stated that he set the trim for takeoff, proceeded onto runway 34, added full engine power, and the airplane accelerated normally. When the airplane was about 1/3 of the way down the runway at the location where he expected to lift off the ground, the airplane was still on the runway. Therefore, he aborted the takeoff. The pilot stated that he retarded the throttle, applied brakes, and lost directional control of the airplane.
The pilot additionally informed the Safety Board investigator that he erred by not maintaining directional control of his conventional gear airplane while decelerating. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and entered a grassy area.
The airport's runway is 1,800 feet long and 20 feet wide.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9716A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19177
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leroy E. Harrington
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3B8
- Destination
- 3B8
- Airport
- 3B8 · Shady Acres, runway 34, 1,800 × 20 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,093 total · 1,027 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °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 N9716A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.