Cessna 170 N1396D accident near Houston, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s inability to compensate for a downdraft during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and subsequent loss of directional control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during the landing the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane bounced twice and jerked to the left before the pilot attempted to abort the landing. The airplane departed the runway to the left and then returned back to the runway where the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest on its right main wheel, tail wheel, and left wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar.

The left landing gear damage was consistent with impact and overload separation. A review of the maintenance records did not reveal any maintenance to the left landing gear attach point. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of a pre-impact anomaly that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that the landing gear separated from the airplane due to impact forces during the landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA236 for the full record.