Cessna 170 N432W accident near Spearfish, South Dakota

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to take off in tailwind conditions, which resulted in an aborted takeoff with insufficient runway remaining.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during takeoff on a grass runway, after liftoff, he noticed the airplane was not able to climb at a normal rate. He lowered the airplane's nose, but the airspeed remained "dangerously low," and the stall horn sounded intermittently. He reduced power to abort the takeoff, but there was insufficient runway remaining. The airplane touched down and overran the runway, the left wing impacted a tree, and the airplane spun 180° before coming to rest.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 140° at 5 knots. The airplane was departing from runway 26.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA429 for the full record.