Accident Overview
On August 31, 2016, at approximately 1130 central daylight time, a Cessna 170A airplane, registration N1726D, sustained substantial damage during a landing on runway 31 at Range Regional Airport (HIB) in Hibbing, Minnesota. The pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Narrative
The pilot reported arriving at HIB around 0800 to preflight the airplane. He departed about 0900 for a pleasure flight to Anderson Field, a private airstrip located approximately 25 miles north of HIB near Bear River, Minnesota. According to the pilot, he made eight uneventful landings at the private airstrip before taking a half-hour break on the ground. He noted that the winds were "picking up" when he departed the private airstrip about 1100 for the return flight to HIB and described the air as "turbulent" during the return. The pilot stated that his last recollection of the flight was entering the traffic pattern for runway 31 at HIB. He was unsure if he "had a bad landing or tried to go around" when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that although he has a brief memory of a first responder speaking to him after the accident, his first substantive memory was after waking up in the hospital a week later.
According to the Hibbing Police Department, an individual called 911 around 1256 to report the accident. No witnesses to the final portion of the flight were identified.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airworthiness Inspector examined the airplane. The inspector did not observe any tire skid marks associated with a loss of directional control after touchdown. The initial point of impact was where the left wingtip struck the ground about 30 feet from the left edge of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright in the grass along the left side of runway 31, approximately 1,375 feet from the approach end and about 65 feet off the left edge, facing southeast. The forward fuselage was crushed aft, consistent with a nose-down impact. Both wings exhibited upward bending near the tips and buckling along the roots; the upper wing surfaces were buckled along their entire span. No leading edge wing damage was evident. The aft fuselage and empennage appeared undamaged. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to the ailerons, elevator, rudder, and flaps. Both flaps were found fully retracted, consistent with the cockpit flap control lever position. The pitch trim tab and indicator were in a mid-range position. A first responder had turned off the fuel selector; however, the responder noted fuel draining from a fuel line leading to the engine before that action. The left main landing gear leg was bent slightly forward; the right main landing gear leg appeared undamaged. The right brake system operated normally when tested; the left brake system could not be tested due to a damaged master cylinder, but remaining components showed no anomalies. The tailwheel assembly had fractured at its attachment to the tailwheel spring; the fracture features were consistent with impact damage. The tailwheel rotated freely with no evidence of steering component malfunction. The postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation.
The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, and the propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. Engine control cable continuity could not be verified due to impact damage. The propeller blades exhibited minor chordwise scratches and leading edge damage, both with aft bends. Compression and suction were noted on all six cylinders during crankshaft rotation. The lower spark plugs exhibited features consistent with normal operation. The magnetos provided spark on all posts when the crankshaft was rotated. The carburetor had separated from the engine during impact. No anomalies were found that would have precluded normal engine operation.