- Date
- November 18, 2006, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Billings, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2619DCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20061118024189A
- Case key
- 64961
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 flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to maintain directional control, which resulted in a ground loop/swerve during takeoff roll. A factor was the failure of the pilot who was receiving instruction to maintain directional control.
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 winds were from 220 degrees at 12 knots for the instructional flight. The first takeoff and landing on runway 28R in the tailwheel-equipped airplane were uneventful. According to the private pilot receiving instruction, he added power to begin the second takeoff roll, and the airplane "began to weathervane to the left into the wind." He stated that he "did not apply enough right rudder or right brake to avoid/overcome the left turning tendency the crosswind and P-Factor caused." He reduced power to idle, and with the airplane moving at a speed of 10 to 15 knots heading about 30 degrees left of runway heading, the pilot receiving instruction "took out the full left aileron deflection [he] was holding since [they] were now pointing into the wind and actually went partial right aileron." At this point, the flight instructor took control of the airplane. However, the instructor was unable to regain directional control, and the airplane swerved to the left, the left wing lifted, and the right wing struck the runway.
Factual narrative
On November 18, 2006, about 0830 mountain standard time, a Cessna 170B, N2619D, sustained substantial damage when its right wing tip contacted the ground following a loss of control during takeoff roll on runway 28R at Billings Logan International Airport, Billings, Montana. The three people aboard, a private pilot receiving instruction, the flight instructor, and one passenger, were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated about 0815 from Billings Logan International Airport.
The pilot receiving instruction reported that they were planning to fly from Billings to Columbus, Montana, but at the flight instructor's suggestion they decided to perform a few stop and go landings at Billings before proceeding to Columbus. The winds were from 220 degrees at 12 knots. The first takeoff and landing on runway 28R in the tailwheel-equipped airplane were uneventful. According to the pilot receiving instruction, he added power to begin the second takeoff roll, and the airplane "began to weathervane to the left into the wind." He stated that "he did not apply enough right rudder or right brake to avoid/overcome the left turning tendency the crosswind and P-Factor caused." He reduced power to idle, and with the airplane moving at a speed of 10 to 15 knots heading about 30 degrees left of runway heading, the pilot receiving instruction "took out the full left aileron deflection [he] was holding since [they] were now pointing into the wind and actually went partial right aileron." At this point, the flight instructor took control of the airplane. However, the instructor was unable to regain directional control, and the airplane swerved to the left, the left wing lifted, and the right wing struck the runway.
The flight instructor did not respond to a written request from the NTSB investigator-in-charge for a written statement.
According to an FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, the right wing and horizontal stabilizer sustained structural damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2619D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20771
- Airframe hours
- 2,755
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steven J. Inman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2006
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Destination
- BIL
- Airport
- BIL · Billings Logan International, runway 28R, 10,518 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 256 total · 103 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL
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 N2619D · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.