Cessna 170 accident near Alamogordo, New Mexico, June 28, 2017
On June 28, 2017 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170, registered N2774D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Alamogordo, New Mexico (Alamogordo-White Sands Rgnl 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2017 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Alamogordo, New Mexico · Alamogordo-White Sands Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 B, built 1952 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N2774D · registry record · serial 25316
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the pilot flying was receiving instruction for a tailwheel endorsement. He added that, during the seventh landing of the day, the pilot extended the downwind to allow for traffic that landed ahead of them. He further added that, during the wheel landing touchdown, as the tail was settling to the ground, a wind gust "turned the airplane's tail," which resulted in a ground loop on the runway. The left wing, engine mounts, and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the accident airport recorded wind from 240° at 6 knots. The flight instructor reported that the landing was on runway 22.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
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 › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 367 as pilot in command; 161 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 6, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,880.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AIA (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sasquatch Air LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: ALM Alamogordo NM at 6:15 pm
- Destination: ALM Alamogordo NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 9,207 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KALM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 19, 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 | Record of Conversation (Flight Instructor) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.