- Date
- January 24, 1991, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1279DCessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910124001029A
- Case key
- 32816
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
In-flight encounter with a downdraft which caused the airspeed to decrease below vso resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush.
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
Shortly after takeoff at an alt of about 80 ft while over trees at the departure end of the rwy, the plt reported that the acft began to sink & the lt wing stalled. The acft descended lt wing low collided with trees then the ground. The plt stated that there was no eng failure or malfunction & the stall warning did not operate. He also stated that the high sink rate was due to a downdraft. The plt rated passenger stated that just prior to the wing stalling, he observed the airspeed indicator abruptly fell from 60-50 mph. The stall speed in the acft configuration was reportedly 54 mph.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1279D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20125
- Airframe hours
- 3,932
- Engine
- Continental O-300A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Caine, Alfred
- Registered owner
- Caine, Alfred
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1990 · 72 hours before
- Destination
- X14 · La Belle, FL
- Airport
- NONE · Tuckers Corner, runway 5, 1,850 × 75 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 25 in this make and model · 105 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.