Cessna 170B accident near Sunburst, Montana, February 6, 2013
On February 6, 2013 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2619D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sunburst, Montana (Sunburst 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 failure to compensate for the strong, gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2013 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sunburst, Montana · Sunburst Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2619D · registry record · serial 20771
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied the airplane onto the runway most aligned with the wind and began the takeoff roll. Just as the airplane became airborne, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the left wing tip contacted the ground despite the pilot's application of full right aileron. The airplane came to rest, nose-down, facing opposite the direction of intended travel and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the left lift strut. The pilot estimated that the wind was 38 knots and gusting to 42 knots at the time of takeoff. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 568 hours in all; 404 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,070 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,796 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K8U5 Sunburst MT at 9:30 pm
- Destination: KBIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 25 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KCTB, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N2619D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.