Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control for undetermined reasons.
NTSB analysis
The pilot of the single-engine airplane stated that he took off from the remote grass airstrip, which had 80-foot-tall pine trees along both sides. Shortly after takeoff the pilot heard a bang and the airplane veered right. The pilot tried to correct the flight path; however, the airplane descended and impacted pine trees about 300 feet east of the departure end of the airstrip. The pilot was able to extract himself from the cockpit before the airplane was consumed by a postaccident fire. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the county sheriff inspected the control cables of the airplane and found them all to be connected and continuous between the flight control surfaces and the cockpit controls.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11CA409 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 28, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Grangeville, Idaho
- Nearest airport
- Hungry Ridge Ranch Airport (37ID)
- Highest injury
- Serious
- Serious injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 170A
- N-number
- N1238D
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.