Cessna 170 accident near Benson, Arizona, June 10, 2018
On June 10, 2018 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 170, registered N170W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Benson, Arizona (Benson Muni 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 landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2018 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Benson, Arizona · Benson Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 B, built 1953 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N170W · no longer on the register · serial 25596
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane veered left and began to bounce. He applied right rudder correction, which quickly turned the airplane right toward the centerline, and he then applied left rudder to realign with the runway heading. He increased the engine power setting to full to perform a go-around, but the airplane, during its third bounce, ground looped to the left. The right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest on its right side with the wing at a 90° angle. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the automated weather observation system located on the airport reported that, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was light and variable at 2 knots, gusting to 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 28.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,856.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E95 Benson AZ at 4:30 pm
- Destination: E95 Benson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from KALK, 24 miles away
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 October 15, 2018. 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 | Photo | 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.