- Date
- June 23, 2010, 13:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Parker, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N432PBCessna 170B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100623036439A
- Case key
- 76429
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 directional control while landing with a crosswind.
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
An airport employee stated that the pilot called for an airport advisory several minutes before he landed. He reported that at that time the wind was from 220 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported that as he approached the airport, the wind was from 255 degrees at about 7 knots, a direct crosswind for either runway; therefore, he elected to land on runway 1. The pilot said that while on approach, when he first saw the windsock, it appeared to be partially inflated, but as he approached touchdown the windsock was straight out. After the airplane touched down, the left wing rose up and the right wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane cartwheeled, departed the right side of the runway, and came to rest upright. Both wing tips were bent up during the accident. Subsequently, a fire erupted, which consumed the fuselage. Postaccident inspection of the airplane confirmed control continuity to all flight control surfaces. The pilot also reported that it was obvious that the crosswind was more than he or the airplane could handle and that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 2010, about 1305 mountain standard time, a Cessna 170B, N432PB, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control during the landing roll at the Avi Suquilla Airport, Parker, Arizona. The private pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which had originated approximately 90 minutes earlier from Corona, California. A flight plan had not been filed. The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that as he approached the airport, the wind was from 255 degrees at about 7 knots. He elected to land on runway 01, and as he touched down, the airplane's left wing rose up, and the right wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane cartwheeled, departed the right side of the runway, and came to rest upright. Both wing tips were bent up during the accident. Subsequently, a post accident fire erupted, which consumed the fuselage. The pilot further reported that it was obvious that the crosswind was more that he or the airplane could handle. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported. An employee at the airport stated that the pilot called for an airport advisory several minutes before he landed. He reported that at that time the wind was from 220 degrees at 7 knots. Additionally, the pilot said that when he first saw the windsock it appeared to be partially inflated, but as he approached touchdown, the windsock was straight out. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector confirmed control continuity to all flight control surfaces. The pilot did not submit a National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form 6120.1/2.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N432PB
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26664
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Floyd W. Griffith
- Registered owner
- Griffith Floyd W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AJO · Corona, CA
- Destination
- P20 · Parker, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- P20 · Avi Suquilla airport, runway 01, 6,250 × 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
- 74
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 125 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- BLH, 39 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 77 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.