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WPR12CA273

2012-06-21 · Concord, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CCR

Current FAA registration · N1640D

Make / Model
CESSNA 170B
Year of manufacture
1952 · 60 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR C145 SERIES (145 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A102E6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot was performing a landing during gusting crosswind conditions in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the landing flare, a wind gust lifted the right wing, and the pilot applied corrective control input. The left wing subsequently struck the runway, causing substantial damage to the aileron and outboard wing skins. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was performing a landing in gusting crosswind conditions in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the landing flare, a wind gust lifted the airplane’s right wing. The pilot applied corrective control input and then landed. After he parked the airplane, the pilot realized that the airplane’s left wing had contacted the runway during the landing flare, causing substantial damage to the aileron and outboard wing skins. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on equipment
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on equipment
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_WPR12CA273.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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