No fatalities

26 Mar 2017: CESSNA 170 A — Death Valley, CA

Death Valley, CA, United States

On 26 Mar 2017, a CESSNA 170 A was involved in an aviation accident near Death Valley, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s improper compensation for crosswind conditions during the landing flare and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during the landing. 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

A tailwheel airplane ground looped to the left during a crosswind landing on a backcountry dirt airstrip after touching down and bouncing, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing.

Summary

A tailwheel-equipped airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing after a ground loop during a crosswind landing on a backcountry dirt airstrip.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, the airplane touched down and bounced during the landing. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control, but a wind gust caused the aircraft to weathervane nose-left. During the second touchdown, the right main landing gear wheel dug into the ground. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the left, and the right wing impacted the ground.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. No other damage was specified.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Additional Information

No further details about the airplane, pilot, location, or conditions were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensation

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome