Cessna 170 C-FHER

Summary

On 10 July 2015 at about 17:50 local time, a Cessna 170 registered C-FHER was involved in an accident near Buffalo, New York, 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

10 July 2015 at 17:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Buffalo, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Buffalo Niagara International (BUF)

Coordinates

42.9450, -78.7383

Aircraft

Cessna 170

Registration

C-FHER

Category

Airplane

Year built

1952

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Burlington → Buffalo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA268

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing with a light quartering tailwind, which resulted in the failure of the landing gear and a subsequent ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that he performed a wheel landing, during which a light quartering tailwind existed. As the tailwheel touched down on the runway, the airplane began drifting right. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to correct the drift by applying left rudder and then left brake. Shortly thereafter, the pilot heard a loud "bang," and the airplane then ground looped left, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear wheel had separated from the landing gear leg. Further examination revealed that two of the four bolts that attached the left main landing gear wheel assembly to the landing gear axle had failed. Examination of the bolts' fracture surfaces revealed signatures consistent with an overload-induced failure due to bending. No evidence of any preexisting corrosion or fatigue of the bolts was observed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.