Cessna 170A N9768A

Summary

On 11 February 2011 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N9768A was involved in an accident near Baker Lake, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 February 2011 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Baker Lake, Washington, United States

Coordinates

48.7219, -121.6636

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N9768A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baker Lake → Burlington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA132

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's encounter with soft terrain during an attempted takeoff from a dry lake bed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he performed about 20 touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings on the dry lake bed prior to the accident. He stated that the terrain was mostly flat, but in places it was uneven and rough. During the last landing, the airplane's wheels became bogged down in the soft terrain, and the propeller struck the ground. The pilot shut down the engine, inspected the propeller, and examined the planned takeoff path for suitability. Thereafter, he attempted to depart. As the airplane accelerated, the left main landing gear encountered an area of soft dirt. The airplane impacted a berm whereupon it nosed over, bending the wing structure and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot further reported that no mechanical malfunction had precipitated the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.