Cessna 170B accident near Augusta, Kansas, August 16, 2014
On August 16, 2014 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170B, registered N60PE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Augusta, Kansas (Augusta Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2014 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Kansas · Augusta Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1952 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N60PE · registry record · serial 20799
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the accident flight, he had successfully completed six landings at several airports before deciding to return to the departure airport for a final landing. He stated that the tailwheel-equipped airplane bounced upon touchdown on the runway. In an attempt to recover from the bounced landing, he maintained pitch attitude to allow the airplane to settle back to the runway. After the second touchdown, the airplane began to swerve left. The pilot was unable to regain directional control of the airplane, and it subsequently departed the left side of the runway and then came to rest in a nose-down attitude in a grassy area. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented its normal operation. Additionally, the pilot stated that the cause of the accident was his failure to maintain focused on the task of landing the airplane.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 29, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-145-2 (piston); 3,748 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3AU Augusta KS at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 3AU Augusta KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,201 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from AAO, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 8, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation (Mario Errante) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement (Michael Baker) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.