On July 24, 2006, a Cessna 170B (registration N4556C) was involved in an aviation accident near Griffin, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An in-flight encounter with weather on initial take off climb resulting in a loss of directional control and collision with the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff, the pilot encountered wind gusts that led to a loss of directional control; the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. Weather analysis indicated thunderstorms and a gust front in the area.
Takeoff and Loss of Control
The pilot applied aft pressure on the control yoke upon reaching 55 mph on the takeoff roll, and the airplane became airborne. The airplane immediately veered to the left, prompting the pilot to apply right rudder and aileron. The pilot stated that he encountered a strong wind gust from the right. Subsequently, another wind gust hit the airplane, and the pilot lost directional control. The airplane then cartwheeled to the left and came to rest inverted.
Weather Conditions
A weather study completed by the NTSB revealed a low pressure system approaching the Alabama-Georgia border, with a stationary front extending eastward across Georgia in the vicinity of the accident site. Scattered thunderstorms and rain showers were developing along the front. Satellite imagery indicated developing cumulonimbus clouds over the accident site, signifying that thunderstorms were in the immediate vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident. Weather radar radial velocity imagery supported a wind shift in the immediate vicinity, with wind values less than 20 knots between the boundary. No defined microburst signature was noted near the accident site, but a wind analysis supported the presence of a gust front or outflow boundary.