- Date
- July 12, 1996, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lewistown, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3156ACessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960712016989A
- Case key
- 42416
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 inadequate compensation for the changing wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve. The sudden windshift was a related factor.
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 stated that he made an approach to land on the runway with a moderate crosswind. He stated that at about 3 feet above the runway, the wind died or reversed. The airplane bounced; during the bounce, the wind started to turn the airplane. The pilot was unable to control the directional change, and the airplane ground-looped, sustaining substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On July 12, 1996, approximately 1600 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N3156A, sustained substantial damage when it ground-looped during landing at Lewistown, Montana. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. A VFR flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at Cut Bank, Montana about two hours earlier. The ELT did not actuate.
The pilot stated that he had approached with a moderate crosswind, and at about 3 feet above the runway the wind died or reversed. The airplane bounced; during the bounce the wind started to turn the airplane. The pilot was unable to control the directional change and the airplane ground-looped, damaging the left wing tip and left elevator tip.
.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3156A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25800
- Airframe hours
- 3,611
- Engine
- Continental C-145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward H. Cole
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 1996 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- CTB · Cut Bank, MT
- Destination
- LWT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- LWT · Lewistown Municipal, runway 25, 5,600 × 100 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,142 total · 68 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.