Cessna 170B accident near Danville, Indiana, May 23, 2013
On May 23, 2013 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N3119A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Danville, Indiana (Hendricks County 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 not maintaining directional control of the airplane during the landing roll resulting in the ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2013 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Danville, Indiana · Hendricks County 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
- N3119A · registry record · serial 25763
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to accumulate two hours solo flight time in reference to insurance requirements. He stated that during his second landing, while transitioning into the flare, he saw the airspeed was 65 mph; he reduced engine power to idle and banked with a “slight” right wing low into the wind. The tail wheel airplane touched down with right main and then left main. The pilot reported that he “got really light on my wheels” and swerved to the right. He swerved to left and the swerves were subsequently getting worse. He said that he could not get the aircraft straightened out. The left wheel skidded on runway and the airplane came to rest on the pavement with the pilot’s door open. The pilot’s door would not close and the pilot taxied the airplane back to the hanger. During a post flight inspection, the pilot discovered white dust on the left main tire. He subsequently found his tire marks just north of the midfield turn off and followed the marks to their end where he found three pieces of the left wheel half. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions in reference to the flight. A subsequent examination of the airplane revealed there was substantial damage to the fuselage and landing gear box.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 138 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,449 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2R2 Danville IN
- Destination: 2R2 Danville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from IND
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.