Cessna 170B N3469C

Summary

On 3 May 2014 at about 01:45 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N3469C was involved in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 May 2014 at 01:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Soldotna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Soldotna (SXQ)

Coordinates

60.4747, -151.0419

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N3469C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1954

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Soldotna → Soldotna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC14CA026

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to recognize a wind shift, resulting in a tailwind landing, loss of control, and ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was practicing solo takeoff and landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard surfaced runway. At the beginning of the flight, the winds were light and variable, but during the last landing, the wind had shifted to a slight tailwind. During the landing, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.