Cessna 170B N4659C

Summary

On 17 March 1990 at about 00:00 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N4659C was involved in an accident near Sulatna Cross, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 March 1990 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sulatna Cross, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N4659C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McGrath → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC90LA043

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT FAILED TO ADEQUATELY ASSESS THE EXISTING SNOW CONDITIONS AND SURROUNDING TERRAIN (PREFLIGHT PLANNING) PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES AND THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM A FROZEN LAKE AT DUSK. LOOSE SNOW ON THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF DISTANCE. THE PILOT SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF, THE AIRPLANE'S HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCK A TREE, AND THAT HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF HE HAD WAITED FOR BETTER LIGHTING CONDITIONS, OR IF HE WOULD HAVE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF EARLY IN THE TAKEOFF ROLL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.