No fatalities

10 Sep 2016: CESSNA 170 B — Frontier Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditionin — Sidney, MT

Sidney, MT, United States

On 10 Sep 2016, a CESSNA 170 B operated by Frontier Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditionin was involved in an aviation accident near Sidney, MT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and the flight instructor’s inability to recover the airplane, which resulted in a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During an instructional flight, a tailwheel airplane bounced on landing, drifted left into a drainage ditch, resulting in a deflated left landing gear tire and substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron, and elevator.

Incident Details

A flight instructor reported that an instructional flight in a tailwheel-equipped airplane ended with substantial damage after a bounced landing. The student pilot was at the controls during the approach to a grass airstrip.

Sequence of Events

According to the instructor, the student pilot bounced the airplane upon touchdown. The airplane then lifted off the grass strip, and the instructor took control. Despite his input, the airplane drifted to the left and rolled into a drainage ditch adjacent to the runway.

Attempting to extract the airplane, the instructor applied right rudder. During this maneuver, the left landing gear tire deflated. The left wing and tail subsequently struck the ground. The airplane yawed to the left, and the instructor corrected the yaw. The airplane then rolled onto the runway and came to a stop.

Aircraft Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron, and elevator. The left landing gear tire was deflated.

Mechanical Status

The flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies prior to the landing in the ditch that would have prevented normal flight operation.

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintainedDirectional control — Not attained/maintained