Cessna 170 accident near Spanaway, Washington, July 7, 2007
On July 7, 2007 at about 5:04 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N9716A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spanaway, Washington (Shady Acres airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff from a short and narrow runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2007 · about 5:04 pm local time
- Place
- Spanaway, Washington · Shady Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N9716A · no longer on the register · serial 19177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway and nosed over in grassy terrain during an aborted takeoff. The pilot did not observe anything unusual with his airplane during his preflight inspection, and all systems appeared to be functioning normally during the engine run up. The pilot stated that he set the trim for takeoff, proceeded onto runway 34, added full engine power, and the airplane accelerated normally. When the airplane was about 1/3 of the way down the runway at the location where he expected to lift off the ground, the airplane was still on the runway. Therefore, he aborted the takeoff. The pilot said he retarded the throttle, applied brakes, and lost directional control of the airplane. The airport's runway is 1,800 feet long and 20 feet wide.
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: 1,093 hours in all; 1,027 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3B8
- Destination: 3B8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 1,800 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.