On January 8, 2002, a Cessna 170B (registration N48031) was involved in an aviation accident near Bellewood, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot misjudged the proper touched down point and collided with the ground short of the runway during an attempted landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing on runway 12 at a private airstrip, the airplane touched down left and short of the turf runway, coming to rest 30 feet left of the runway. No mechanical issues were reported or found.
Accident Details
The pilot was conducting an approach to land on runway 12 at a private airstrip from which the airplane had previously departed. During the attempted landing, the airplane touched down left of and short of the runway surface. After the touchdown, the airplane came to rest approximately 30 feet to the left of the turf runway.
Post-Accident Examination
The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane during the flight. Following the accident, a post-accident examination of the airplane was conducted, which also failed to reveal any mechanical issues. The wreckage examination did reveal structural damage to the airframe.
Conclusion
The accident sequence involved a landing that deviated from the intended runway surface, resulting in the airplane stopping off the runway. No causal factors were identified in the source material.