Cessna 170B accident near St. Johns, Arizona, August 1, 2002
On August 1, 2002 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2233D, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Johns, Arizona (St. Johns Industrial Air Park 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 selection of the wrong runway for the existing crosswind condition and his subsequent inadequate compensation for the winds, which led to a failure to maintain directional control and a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2002 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- St. Johns, Arizona · St. Johns Industrial Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2233D · registry record · serial 20385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted to make a three-point touchdown with a known crosswind and the airplane ground looped, veered off the runway, and collided with an airport boundary fence. Just after touchdown on runway 14, a ground loop commenced, and the airplane veered to the right. Left brake and rudder were applied in order to regain control, whereupon the airplane ran off the east side of the runway. The pilot decided to abort the landing and applied full power in an attempt to get the airplane airborne and under control, but the left wingtip contacted the ground. The airplane then struck a fence, impacted the ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The automated surface observation system (ASOS) was reporting winds from 240 at 11 knots about 20 minutes after the accident. Runway 21 was available at the airport for the landing.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 754 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 713 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,951 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 10, 2001; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZ82 Overgaard AZ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: SJN St. Johns AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,323 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from KSJN
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.