On May 11, 2002, a Cessna 170B (registration N3462C) operated by William E. Gamble was involved in an aviation accident near San Diego, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the dual student to maintain directional control of the airplane and the instructor's delayed the remedial action, which resulted in a ground loop. A factor in the accident was the gusting crosswind conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A training flight ended in a runway excursion when the aircraft veered right on touchdown, ground looped, and impacted a ditch. The instructor noted delayed intervention and no mechanical issues.
Accident Details
During a training flight involving touch-and-go pattern operations, the aircraft experienced a loss of directional control during landing. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was flying as they entered the traffic pattern. Upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the right. The flight instructor reported that by the time he took control of the aircraft, it was already headed off the runway. He applied power in an attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane continued off the runway, ground looped, and subsequently impacted a ditch.
Instructor's Observations
The instructor noted that he allowed the student to continue too far before intervening. He stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft. The winds at the time of the accident were reported as from 300 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots.