- Date
- February 10, 2011, 16:30 local (Feb 11, 2011, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Baker Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9768ACessna 170A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110210002249A
- Case key
- 78331
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 encounter with soft terrain during an attempted takeoff from a dry lake bed.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, he performed about 20 touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings on the dry lake bed prior to the accident. He stated that the terrain was mostly flat, but in places it was uneven and rough. During the last landing, the airplane's wheels became bogged down in the soft terrain, and the propeller struck the ground. The pilot shut down the engine, inspected the propeller, and examined the planned takeoff path for suitability. Thereafter, he attempted to depart. As the airplane accelerated, the left main landing gear encountered an area of soft dirt. The airplane impacted a berm whereupon it nosed over, bending the wing structure and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot further reported that no mechanical malfunction had precipitated the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he performed about 20 touch-and-go landings on the dry lake bed prior to the accident. He stated that the terrain was mostly flat, but in places it was uneven and rough. During the last landing, the airplane's wheels became bogged down in the terrain, and the propeller struck the ground. The pilot shut down the engine, inspected the propeller, and examined the planned takeoff path for suitability. Thereafter, he attempted to depart. As the airplane accelerated, the left main landing gear encountered an area of soft dirt. The airplane impacted a berm whereupon it nosed over, bending the wing structure and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot further reported that no mechanical malfunction had precipitated the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9768A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19409
- Airframe hours
- 2,827
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 22, 2010 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- Baker Lake, WA
- Destination
- BVS · Burlington, WA
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
- 44
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 477 total · 184 in this make and model · 371 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 601 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.