Cessna 170B accident near Show Low, Arizona, May 19, 2002
On May 19, 2002 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N4338B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Show Low, Arizona (Show Low airport). It was a personal 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's improper recovery from a bounced landing resulted in a loss of aircraft control. A factor was a sudden wind shift on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2002 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Show Low, Arizona · Show Low · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4338B · no longer on the register · serial 26682
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a hard landing when, about 20 feet above the ground on final approach, the wind shifted from a headwind to a direct crosswind. The airplane dropped and bounced. The pilot tried to recover with full power, but the stalled wing fell and hit the ground. The airplane cartwheeled and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 105 hours in all; 48 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 2002; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental o-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SOW Show Low AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from SOW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4338B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.