Cessna 170 accident near Martinsville, Virginia, December 5, 2016
On December 5, 2016 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1949 Cessna 170, registered N9002A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Martinsville, Virginia (Blue Ridge 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 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
- December 5, 2016 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Martinsville, Virginia · Blue Ridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A, built 1949 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N9002A · no longer on the register · serial 18757
- 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 reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered left of centerline and that he attempted to correct with right brake input but was unsuccessful. The airplane continued to veer off the runway to the left, ground looped, and the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 120° at 4 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,654 hours in all; 646 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,616 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 6, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,151 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145-2 (piston); 887 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTV Martinsville VA at 7:15 pm
- Destination: MTV Martinsville VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KMTV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (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.