Cessna 170A N1726D accident near Hibbing, Minnesota

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in impact with terrain near the runway.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a personal flight, and his last recollection of the flight was when he entered the traffic pattern for the runway. He stated that he was unsure if he "had a bad landing or tried to go around" when the accident occurred. The airplane came to rest upright in the grass alongside the runway facing southeast; the forward fuselage was crushed aft, which was consistent with a nose-down impact. The flaps were found fully retracted. A postaccident examination of the runway did not reveal any tire skid marks that could be associated with a loss of directional control after the airplane touched down. The initial point of impact was where the left wingtip had hit the ground about 30 ft from the left edge of the runway. The propeller exhibited damage consistent with minimal engine power at impact. The wreckage examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, the pilot lost airplane control, but it could not be determined if this occurred while landing or during a go-around attempt.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN16LA343 for the full record.