- Date
- August 9, 2010, 17:36 local (23:36 UTC)
- Place
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N179MMCessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100809040419A
- Case key
- 76922
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 aircraft control during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he started his cross country flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane in San Antonio, Texas with two rest stops in Roswell and Farmington, New Mexico. When landing to stop for a third time, the pilot checked the airport's automated weather, which indicated a “quartering right crosswind” of about 8 knots. The approach and landing were uneventful. During the landing roll a gust of wind struck the airplane and the airplane initiated a right turn. Despite the pilot’s control inputs the airplane ground looped, collapsing the left main landing gear and substantially damaging the left wing, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The accident airport’s automated weather observation system reported at the time of the accident, wind was from 240 at 13 knots. The pilot’s total flight time for the day was approximately 8.5 hours.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he started his cross country flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane in San Antonio, Texas with two rest stops in Roswell and Farmington, New Mexico. When landing to stop for a third time, the pilot checked the airport's automated weather, which indicated a “quartering right crosswind” of about 8 knots. The approach and landing were uneventful. During the landing roll a gust of wind struck the airplane and the airplane initiated a right turn. Despite the pilot’s control inputs the airplane ground looped, collapsing the left main landing gear and substantially damaging the left wing, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The accident airport’s automated weather observation system reported at the time of the accident, wind was from 240 at 13 knots. The pilot’s total flight time for the day was approximately 8.5 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N179MM
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19423
- Airframe hours
- 3,570
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 series, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harold G. Jensen
- Registered owner
- Harold G. Jensen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2010 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- KFMN · Farmington, NM
- Destination
- KU42 · Salt Lake City, UT
- Airport
- KU42 · South Valley Regional Airport, runway 16, 5,860 × 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 5, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 35 in this make and model · 3,400 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KU42
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 424 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.