Cessna 305 N5673B

Summary

On 25 August 2024 at about 18:20 local time, a Cessna 305 registered N5673B, operated by Greater Boston Soaring Club Inc, was involved in an accident near Sterling, Massachusetts, 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

25 August 2024 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Sterling, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Sterling (3B3)

Coordinates

42.4263, -71.7940

Aircraft

Cessna 305

Registration

N5673B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1951

Engines

1

Operator

Greater Boston Soaring Club Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fitchburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA358

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent landing gear collapse. Contributing was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was receiving instruction from a flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane to become a glider tow pilot. The pilot landed the airplane on the grass next to the paved runway, an area that included a paved taxiway that crossed over it. Upon reaching the taxiway the airplane bounced and swerved to the right. The pilot corrected with rudder application and braking, but the airplane continued its right turn and ground looped. During the ground loop the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the ground, substantially damaging it. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor also reported that he could have been faster in taking control of the airplane after it initially began to turn, but had relaxed because they were in the roll out phase of the landing, and because the pilot had previously landed the airplane without issue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.