Summary
On July 19, 2018, a Cessna 170 (N432W) was involved in an incident near Spearfish, SD. All 2 people 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 improper decision to take off in tailwind conditions, which resulted in an aborted takeoff with insufficient runway remaining.
The pilot reported that, during takeoff on a grass runway, after lift-off, he noticed he was not able to climb at a normal rate. He lowered the nose of the airplane, but the airspeed remained "dangerously low" and the stall horn sounded intermittently. He reduced power to abort the takeoff, but there was insufficient runway remaining. The airplane touched down, overran the runway, the left wing impacted a tree, and the airplane spun 180° before coming to rest.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 140° at 5 knots, temperature 64°F, dew point 59°F.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA429. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N432W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s improper decision to take off in tailwind conditions, which resulted in an aborted takeoff with insufficient runway remaining.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during takeoff on a grass runway, after lift-off, he noticed he was not able to climb at a normal rate. He lowered the nose of the airplane, but the airspeed remained "dangerously low" and the stall horn sounded intermittently. He reduced power to abort the takeoff, but there was insufficient runway remaining. The airplane touched down, overran the runway, the left wing impacted a tree, and the airplane spun 180° before coming to rest.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 140° at 5 knots, temperature 64°F, dew point 59°F. The airplane was departing on runway 26.
The pilot did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA18CA429