Cessna 170 accident near Dowagiac, Michigan, July 4, 2024
On July 4, 2024 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1950 Cessna 170, registered N9793A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Dowagiac, Michigan (Dowagiac Muni airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot and flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop with the left main landing gear axle failing, a runway excursion, and impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2024 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dowagiac, Michigan · Dowagiac Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A, built 1950 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N9793A · registry record · serial 19254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction reported that he and the flight instructor were performing transition training in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. After landing to the dry asphalt runway and during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the left and the pilot applied right rudder and right brake. The airplane corrected to the right and the flight instructor applied left rudder and left brake to straighten the direction of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the left main landing gear axle failed, the wheel departed, and the airplane continued to travel to the right. The airplane departed the runway to the right and came to rest upright on a grass field. During the runway excursion, the left wing impacted the ground. The two occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot classified the accident as a “typical tailwheel ground loop caused by the left gear axle failing and the pilot potentially overcorrecting on rollout.” The pilot further reported that the left axle (constructed of hollow aluminum) is an original part from when the airplane was manufactured in 1950.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: 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: 1,511 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,420 as pilot in command; 645 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 23, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2024; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-145-2H (piston); 3,245 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09/2, 4,700 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KBEH, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBEH 041453Z AUTO 29003KT 10SM CLR 25/20 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP143 T02500200 53012
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N9793A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN24LA251.