N2359J – Cessna 170B – 2006-03-31 NTSB Accident Report

On March 31, 2006, a Cessna 170B (N2359J) was involved in an incident near Benton, KS. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane resulting in a ground loop. Contributing factors include the inadequate preflight inspection, the pilot's failure to properly latch the cowling, and the pilot's diverted attention to the open cowling.

According to the pilot, he had just departed Benton (1K1) when the cowling came open and he elected to return to 1K1. He stated that during the landing roll to runway 35, he "lost control of the airplane," ground looped, and departed the runway to the left. The right wing struck the ground and the outboard 4 feet of the wing was bent up 30 degrees. The wing skin was wrinkled and the main spar was bent. A post-accident examination of the airframe and airplane's systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies. The pilot stated that he did not properly latch the cowling.

This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN06CA054. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2359J.