Cessna 170 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, August 9, 2010
On August 9, 2010 at about 11:36 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N179MM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Salt Lake City, Utah (South Valley Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person 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 aircraft control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2010 · about 11:36 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · South Valley Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N179MM · registry record · serial 19423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he started his cross country flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane in San Antonio, Texas with two rest stops in Roswell and Farmington, New Mexico. When landing to stop for a third time, the pilot checked the airport's automated weather, which indicated a “quartering right crosswind” of about 8 knots. The approach and landing were uneventful. During the landing roll a gust of wind struck the airplane and the airplane initiated a right turn. Despite the pilot’s control inputs the airplane ground looped, collapsing the left main landing gear and substantially damaging the left wing, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The accident airport’s automated weather observation system reported at the time of the accident, wind was from 240 at 13 knots. The pilot’s total flight time for the day was approximately 8.5 hours.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 3,400 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 5, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2010; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFMN Farmington NM at 8:35 pm
- Destination: KU42 Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,860 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:28 pm from KU42
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10CA394.