On June 23, 2004, a Cessna 170B (registration N2555C) was involved in an aviation accident near Heber City, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the aborted landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to maintain runway alignment, the fence, and the ditch. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported a smooth landing on runway 3, but a tail wheel bounce caused the airplane to become airborne, drift left, and abort. The aircraft veered off the runway, struck a fence, and nosed over.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported landing smoothly on runway 3. During the rollout, the tail wheel bounced slightly, causing the airplane to become airborne and drift to the left of the runway centerline. The pilot added power to abort the landing. The airplane subsequently settled back onto the runway, then veered off the left side.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft struck the airport boundary fence, rolled into a ditch, and nosed over. Post-accident examination revealed damage to the vertical stabilizer, which was crushed, and the wing rear carry-through spar was bent.
Pilot's Account
The pilot described the initial touchdown as smooth, but the subsequent tail wheel bounce initiated a chain of events leading to the excursion. No other contributing factors were reported in the source.