Cessna 170 accident near Wheatland, Wyoming, June 6, 2022
On June 6, 2022 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 170, registered N4067V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wheatland, Wyoming (Phifer Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare which, resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2022 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wheatland, Wyoming · Phifer Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170, built 1948 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4067V · registry record · serial 18399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tail-wheeled equipped airplane reported that, during landing with a quartering tailwind, the airplane floated and bounced after touchdown. When the airplane settled to the runway, the right wing dropped and impacted the surface. The airplane ground looped and rolled into soft dirt, where it nosed over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and left wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 206.6 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 4.6 in the last 90 days; 1.9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 29, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,688.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SERIES (piston); 1,862 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 5,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 am from KEAN
Weather report (METAR): KEAN 061430Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 17/09 A2991 RMK AO2 T01680088
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 19, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.