Cessna 170A accident near Opa Locka, Florida, November 12, 2004
On November 12, 2004 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9059A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Opa Locka, Florida (Opa Locka 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 improper landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2004 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Opa Locka, Florida · Opa Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9059A · registry record · serial 18818
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the landing rollout on runway 9L, the airplane weather vaned to the right. He said he applied left rudder and left braking inputs to correct for the weather vaning, but the left main landing gear separated. The left wing and the propeller impacted the runway, and the airplane pivoted to the left, coming to an abrupt stop. According to the Opa Locka Air traffic controller, the airplane was cleared to land on runway 9L, and upon touchdown the left side of the airplane collapsed and the airplane veered to the left. On November 11 and 12, 2004, an FAA inspector conducted postcrash examinations of the accident airplane, and according to the inspector, the airplane exhibited signatures consistent with the pilot having made a hard landing. The inspector further stated that there was no evidence of fatigue to any of the landing gear fracture surfaces, and that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or its systems.
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: 1,285 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OPF Miami FL at 3:50 pm
- Destination: OPF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from OPF
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.