Cessna 170 accident near Morrisville, Vermont, September 3, 2020
On September 3, 2020 at about 3:21 pm local time, a 1950 Cessna 170, registered N170JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Morrisville, Vermont (Morrisville-Stowe State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2020 · about 3:21 pm local time
- Place
- Morrisville, Vermont · Morrisville-Stowe State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A, built 1950 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N170JS · registry record · serial 19546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the right seat pilot/owner of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, she was demonstrating a short field takeoff to the passenger on a grass area adjacent to the airport’s single paved runway. After adding power and releasing the brakes, the airplane veered to the left toward a ditch between the grass area and the paved runway. The pilot attempted to steer away from the ditch by applying rudder control inputs but was unsuccessful. As the airplane approached the ditch she elected to rotate. The airplane briefly became airborne then stalled and impacted terrain. The pilot and the passenger were seriously injured and the airplane’s fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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 takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 55.8 in the last 90 days; 12.7 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,720 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 3,565 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from KMVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2021. 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 | Airport Surveillance Video | video | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 5 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.