MIA05LA027

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 170A · Opa Locka, FL · November 12, 2004

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
November 12, 2004, 12:50 local (17:50 UTC)
Place
Opa Locka, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9059ACessna 170A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 30, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20041112027959A
Case key
60625

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 improper landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.

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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot stated that during the landing rollout on runway 9L, the airplane weather vaned to the right. He said he applied left rudder and left braking inputs to correct for the weather vaning, but the left main landing gear separated. The left wing and the propeller impacted the runway, and the airplane pivoted to the left, coming to an abrupt stop. According to the Opa Locka Air traffic controller, the airplane was cleared to land on runway 9L, and upon touchdown the left side of the airplane collapsed and the airplane veered to the left. On November 11 and 12, 2004, an FAA inspector conducted postcrash examinations of the accident airplane, and according to the inspector, the airplane exhibited signatures consistent with the pilot having made a hard landing. The inspector further stated that there was no evidence of fatigue to any of the landing gear fracture surfaces, and that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or its systems.

Factual narrative

On November 12, 2004, about 1250 eastern standard time, a Cessna 170A airplane, N9059A, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, incurred damage during the landing rollout at Opa Locka Airport, Opa Locka, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated at Opa Locka Airport, the same day, about 1050.

According to the pilot, while landing on runway 9L, during the landing rollout, the airplane weather vaned to the right. He said he applied left rudder and left braking inputs to correct for the weather vaning, but the left main landing gear separated. The left wing and the propeller impacted the runway, and the airplane pivoted to the left, coming to an abrupt stop. The NTSB did not receive a completed NTSB Form 6120, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report from the pilot.

According to the Opa Locka Air traffic control tower controller, the airplane was cleared to land on runway 9L, and upon touchdown the left side of the airplane collapses and the airplane veered to the left.

On November 11 and 12, 2004, an FAA inspector conducted postcrash examinations of the accident airplane, and according to the inspector, the airplane exhibited signatures consistent with the pilot having made an hard landing. The inspector further stated that there was no evidence of fatigue to any of the landing gear fracture surfaces, and that no preaccident anomalies were noted to exist with the airplane or its systems.

Aircraft

Registration
N9059A
Reported as
Cessna 170A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18818
Airframe hours
4,710
Engine
Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Colin Olliver
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Departed
OPF · Miami, FL
Destination
OPF
Airport
OPF · Opa locka, runway 9L, 8,002 × 150 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
68
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Last flight review
May 1, 2003
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,285 total · 400 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
140° at 9 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
30.03 inHg
Observed at
OPF

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.