Cessna 170A accident near Victoria, Texas, September 11, 2013
On September 11, 2013 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N170TP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Victoria, Texas (Victoria Rgnl 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind, which resulted 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, 2013 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Victoria, Texas · Victoria Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N170TP · registry record · serial 19609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was returning to land after practicing flight maneuvers and thetower controller cleared him to land on runway 13. The pilot added that he observed the wind was light, with an occasional gust. He landed the airplane just past the threshold and was trying to slow down, when a gust of wind lifted the left wing. The airplane lifted up, flipped over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
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 › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,331 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2012
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VCT Victoria TX
- Destination: VCT Victoria TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13R, 4,643 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from KVCT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN13CA544.