Cessna 170B accident near Meridian, Mississippi, August 4, 2013
On August 4, 2013 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N4251, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Meridian, Mississippi (Key Field 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 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 4, 2013 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Meridian, Mississippi · Key Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4251 · no longer on the register · serial 25346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated that during the landing flare, the airplane began to drift to the right, and then yawed left upon touchdown. The pilot applied right rudder to compensate, and the airplane continued to yaw to the left while skidding to the right. The right wing and nose subsequently contacted the runway before the airplane came to rest. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage at the right main landing gear attach point. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot commented that had he, “…recognized the sudden left yaw early enough, perhaps a go-around would have been enough to straighten it out.”
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 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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 124 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 5,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NQA Millington TN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MEI Meridian MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 4,599 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from MEI
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 September 19, 2013. 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 for Record - Mei Weather | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Overall View of Airplane (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Damage to Structure (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.