Cessna 170B accident near Harvard, Illinois, November 8, 2017
On November 8, 2017 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170B, registered N2766D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Harvard, Illinois (Dacy 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 failure of the universal joint in the pilot-side flight control yoke due to the fatigue fracture of a rivet within the universal joint. Contributing to the universal joint failure was the universal joint design, which was prone to galling wear and seizure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2017 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Harvard, Illinois · Dacy Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1952 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2766D · registry record · serial 25308
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight. He reported that he experienced a "complete loss of flight controls" during the landing flare. The main landing gear settled to the runway; during the landing roll, the pilot was able to reach the copilot-side control yoke and completed the landing, but the airplane received substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the rivet in the universal joint for the pilot-side control yoke had failed, causing the universal joint to disassemble. The examination of the universal joint also revealed that the assembly seized and would not articulate as designed. The assembly seized due to galling wear between the center pin and the yoke ear holes and between the swivel blocks and the yoke ears, resulting in high alternating stresses in the rivet that held the half pins in place. The high alternative stresses in the rivet caused the rivet to fail by low-cycle reversed-bending fatigue fracture. The universal joint design was prone to galling wear and seizure. Maintenance records indicated the universal joint had been replaced 1.5 years before the accident and had acquired 199.1 hours of flight time since being installed. The component had been maintained in accordance with the requirements prescribed in the airframe manufacturer's service manual. No evidence suggested that the failure was related to improper maintenance or lubrication.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Control column section › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Control column section › Design
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 17, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,945 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 2,956 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Poplar Grove IL at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 0C0 Harvard IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,589 ft by 105 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from KBUU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 5, 2018. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | 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.