Cessna 170A accident near Provo, Utah, May 24, 1998
On May 24, 1998 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9732A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Provo, Utah (Provo Municipal 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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. A related factor was the right quartering tailwind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1998 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9732A · registry record · serial 19193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that as he approached his destination, he was unable to contact either the airport or other air traffic to obtain wind information to find out which runway was in use. Flying over the airport, he saw that the wind sock indicated the winds were calm, so he landed on runway 13. He said the airplane 'felt soft on the left side' and began 'weaving' down the runway. The left wheel broke off the landing gear, and the airplane ground looped. A witness told the pilot he thought he 'may have experienced a right quartering tail wind gust.' An FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, said the failure appeared to be overload.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 582 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 582 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,796 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 1998; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U55 Panguitch UT at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PVU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,091 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from SLC, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.