Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing rollout while landing in a crosswind which resulted in a ground swerve and substantial damage to the aircraft.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 8, 2001, about 1435 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N2488D, registered to, and operated by a private owner, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced a ground loop during landing at Penrose, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from Charleston, South Carolina, the same day, about 1230.
The pilot stated that he was making a wheel landing with about a 90-degree crosswind, and as he started to bring the tail of the aircraft down, it drifted to the left side of the runway. The pilot further stated that he had tried to control the aircraft with right rudder, which caused the ground loop. He said it happened fast, and he did not have time to apply power or ailerons to save the aircraft, and the left side of the cabin, wing, and landing gear were damaged. The pilot stated that prior to the accident there had been no malfunctions to the aircraft, or its systems.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA01LA116