- Date
- June 2, 2020, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Butte, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8282ACessna 170
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200602007779A
- Case key
- 101407
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 airplane control during landing in turbulent conditions.
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
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing with about a 7 knot headwind, just as the airplane touched down, a "wind event" (turbulence) lifted the airplane airborne. The pilot added power, but the airplane subsequently touched down hard in a 3-point attitude. The lower fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8282A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25134
- Built
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 3,800
- Engine
- Continental C145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2020
- Departed
- SHR · Sheridan, WY
- Destination
- BTM · Butte, MT
- Airport
- BTM · Bert Mooney, runway 33, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 23, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,422 total · 19 in this make and model · 2,350 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTM, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB 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.
Other investigations on N8282A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.