Cessna 170B accident near Dalhart, Texas, September 11, 2009
On September 11, 2009 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2929N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Dalhart, Texas (Dalhart Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind resulting in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2009 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Dalhart, Texas · Dalhart Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2929N · registry record · serial 25545
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot elected to land the tailwheel airplane on runway 17. During the landing rollout the airplane became airborne, swerved right, and again contacted the runway. The left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and subsequently the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest on its left side and the pilot and passenger were able to exit unassisted. Around the time of the accident, the automated weather observing system at the accident airport reported the winds to be varying from 050 to 090 degrees at 13 gusting to 17 knots. A review of airport information revealed that runway 03 was available for use at the time. There were no reported mechanical malfunctions with the airplane's flight controls.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2009
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 4:30 pm
- Destination: DHT Dalhart TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 6,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DHT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA585.