On October 30, 1993, a Cessna 170B (registration N2451D) was involved in an aviation accident near Prescott, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO HIS IMPROPER BOUNCED LANDING RECOVERY TECHNIQUE AND THE IMPROPER USE OF THE RUDDER CONTROLS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR AIRCRAFT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a planned full-stop landing on runway 21L, the aircraft bounced upon touchdown and veered left off the paved surface into an adjacent dirt area before striking a ditch.
What happened
The pilot intended to execute a full-stop landing on runway 21L. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced and subsequently veered to the left, leaving the paved runway surface and entering the adjacent dirt area. The pilot reported attempting to initiate a go-around by applying full power; however, the aircraft failed to attain sufficient flying speed before encountering a ditch.
Findings
The accident sequence was initiated by the aircraft bouncing on landing and veering off the runway. The subsequent failure to gain adequate airspeed during the attempted go-around contributed to the impact with the ditch.