Cessna 170B N3292A

Summary

On 28 November 2014, a Cessna 170B registered N3292A, operated by Kovarik Peter M, was involved in an accident near Alzada, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 November 2014

Classification

Accident

Location

Alzada, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.2022, -104.2256

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N3292A

Category

Airplane

Year built

1953

Engines

1

Operator

Kovarik Peter M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Spearfish → Spearfish

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15FA049

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed for a local area flight. When he did not return, a search was initiated, and the wreckage was located in a saddle between two mountain peaks. There were no identified witnesses to the accident. Onsite documentation revealed that the airplane collided with the terrain in a vertical nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot was very comfortable flying in the local area at altitudes of 150 ft above ground level or less. Given the pilot's preference for low altitude flight, it is likely that he was maneuvering around the mountainous terrain, lost control of the airplane, and did not have sufficient altitude to recover before ground impact.    

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.