- Date
- May 17, 2007, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairfield, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2778CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070517007509A
- Case key
- 65809
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 adequate airspeed while turning from base to final, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush and subsequent collision with terrain.
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 said that he entered the traffic pattern for a full stop landing. He set the airplane up for landing with two notches of flaps, and while turning from base to final, the airspeed got low and the airplane stalled. The pilot attempted to recover but the aircraft impacted a field adjacent to the airport. The left landing gear collapsed and the airplane spun 180 degrees from its impact heading. The airplane's fuselage/empennage were wrinkled and bent approximately 35 degrees, and the engine mount and firewall were bent.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that he entered the traffic pattern for a full stop landing. He set the airplane up for landing with two notches of flaps, and while turning from base to final, the airspeed got low and the airplane stalled. The pilot attempted to recover but the aircraft impacted a field adjacent to the airport. The left landing gear collapsed and the airplane spun 180 degrees from its impact heading. The airplane's fuselage/empennage were wrinkled and bent approximately 35 degrees, and the engine mount and firewall were bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2778C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26322
- Engine
- Continental C145-2, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John A. Graig
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- U86 · Smiley Crk Arpt, ID
- Destination
- U86 · Fairfield, ID
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 335 total · 95 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °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 N2778C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.