Cessna 170 N9793A

Summary

On 4 July 2024 at about 15:30 local time, a Cessna 170 registered N9793A was involved in an accident near Dowagiac, Michigan, United States. 2 people were 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

4 July 2024 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Dowagiac, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Dowagiac Muni (C91)

Coordinates

41.9937, -86.1228

Aircraft

Cessna 170

Registration

N9793A

Category

Airplane

Year built

1950

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA251

Nobody was injured.

The pilot and flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop with the left main landing gear axle failing, a runway excursion, and impact with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot receiving instruction reported that he and the flight instructor were performing transition training in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. After landing to the dry asphalt runway and during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the left and the pilot applied right rudder and right brake. The airplane corrected to the right and the flight instructor applied left rudder and left brake to straighten the direction of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the left main landing gear axle failed, the wheel departed, and the airplane continued to travel to the right. The airplane departed the runway to the right and came to rest upright on a grass field. During the runway excursion, the left wing impacted the ground. The two occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot classified the accident as a “typical tailwheel ground loop caused by the left gear axle failing and the pilot potentially overcorrecting on rollout.” The pilot further reported that the left axle (constructed of hollow aluminum) is an original part from when the airplane was manufactured in 1950.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.