Cessna 170B accident near Watkinsville, Georgia, October 13, 2002
On October 13, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N170LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watkinsville, Georgia (Off Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent collision with an ant hill during takeoff that resulted in a ground loop and the subsequent collision collision with the ground. A factor was unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watkinsville, Georgia · Off Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N170LB · registry record · serial 26716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed in the pasture to assist another pilot who had landed because of an airplane problem. Unable to provide assistance to the other airplane, the Cessna 170B pilot elected to takeoff with the intention of seeking help. During the takeoff roll, the right main landing gear collided with an ant hill. The pilot reported that the collision damaged the right main landing gear, and directional control was lost. The subsequent airplane gyrations also damaged the left wing assembly. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,780 hours in all; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 2002; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Watkinsville GA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Statham GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:40 pm from AHN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.