- Date
- July 17, 1995, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Afton, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3165BCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950717024689A
- Case key
- 42192
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
Directional control was not maintained. Factors to the accident were: inadequate remedial action and a stall not identified.
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
During a student solo flight, the pilot entered the pattern to practice touch-and-go landings. The pilot stated that he was a little high on final approach and the airplane floated when over the runway. The airplane's angle of attack increased and the pilot opted to go-around. When full power was added, the airplane drifted to the left and the left wing dropped, contacting the ground and a fence post. The airplane then semi-cartwheeled to a stop.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 1995, at 0800 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N3165B, collided with a fence post during a go-around attempt at the Afton Airport, Afton, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that this was the first touch-and-go of the flight. The pilot stated that he was a little high on final approach and that the airplane floated when over the runway. The pilot stated "I waited and for some reason the nose floated up more." The pilot did not think that he had sufficient runway remaining to land, and opted to add power to go-around. When the pilot added full power, the airplane drifted to the left and the left wing dropped, contacting the ground and a fence post. The airplane then semi-cartwheeled to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3165B
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25407
- Airframe hours
- 4,320
- Engine
- Continental C-145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mark Heiner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1995 · 77 hours before
- Airport
- AFO · Afton Muni, runway 34, 4,680 × 75 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N3165B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.