Cessna 170 accident near San Diego, California, October 20, 2003
On October 20, 2003, a Cessna 170, registered N3979V, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Diego, California (Montgomery Field). 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 inadequate preflight inspection which failed to determine the security of his seat, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2003
- Place
- San Diego, California · Montgomery Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3979V · registry record · serial 18298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground looped off the runway when the pilot's seat slid aft during landing. The pilot said that when he flared for landing he heard a "click" and then his seat slid backwards about 1 foot, restricting his ability to reach the controls. The pilot tried to adjust his seat position to regain access to the airplane's controls, but the airplane entered a left ground loop and came to rest left of the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined and photographed the pilot's seat. He reported that the seat track locking pin was positioned outside the seat track. He observed that the side floor deck was buckled, the seat was structurally deformed, and the seat locking pin was outside the seat rail and roller, all indicative of impact related damage. The inspector stated that he could not make a reliable determination of pin position prior to the impact damage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 382 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 336 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2003; 12 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: KNKX San Diego CA at 11:45 pm
- Destination: KMYF San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,577 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.