N4476B – Cessna 170 – 2019-12-28 NTSB Accident Report

On December 28, 2019, a Cessna 170 (N4476B) was involved in an incident near Missoula, MT. 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 receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground-loop, and the flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the pilot.

The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll in the tailwheel equipped airplane, it began to veer to the left. He applied corrective control inputs, and the flight instructor called for him to abort the takeoff, but the airplane ground looped as it departed the runway.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron.

Both pilots were flight instructors, and the pilot at the controls was receiving instruction for his tailwheel endorsement. The flight instructor providing instruction stated that the event happened too fast for him to correct the diversion.

Neither pilot reported a preaccident mechanical failure or malfunction with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR20CA053. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4476B.