Cessna 170B accident near Pullman, Washington, June 19, 2012
On June 19, 2012 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2580D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pullman, Washington (Pullman/Moscow Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in gusting crosswind conditions and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2012 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Pullman, Washington · Pullman/Moscow Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2580D · registry record · serial 20732
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was providing tailwheel instruction to a pilot who was going to purchase the accident airplane. They had completed 10.7 hours and 56 landings. Because the pilot planned to depart the following morning with the current airplane owner, the flight instructor said that he felt pressure to complete the pilot’s training that day. While practicing three point landings, the wind was gusting to 19 knots. After touchdown, the airplane began tracking to the right. The flight instructor stated that he was guarding the controls closely but delayed assuming control of the airplane to let the pilot correct the situation on his own. The airplane then swerved to the right, and the flight instructor was unable to regain directional control despite full application of left rudder and brake. When the airplane ran off the runway, the airplane’s left wing and aft fuselage were damaged. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,825 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 22, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 86 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2011; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Inter-State Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KPUW Pullman WA at 1:35 am
- Destination: KPUW Pullman WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,730 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KPUW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N2580D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR12CA269.