- Date
- August 28, 2001, 20:00 local (Aug 29, 2001, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9791ACessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03
- FAA report
- 20010829036459A
- Case key
- 53134
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff. Factors in the accident were the presence of trees at the end of the departure path, and the pilot's improper use of the carburetor heat control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial certificated pilot was departing his private airstrip on runway 24. The airstrip is 2,200 feet long, and is located at 1,875 feet msl. In a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC, the pilot said he added full engine power, and pushed the carburetor heat control off when he began the takeoff run. The airplane lifted off to about 20 feet agl near the departure end of the runway. The pilot said the airplane did not seem to be climbing and he aborted the takeoff by closing the engine throttle and intentionally stalling the airplane into trees at the departure end of the runway. The airplane received damage to the wings, fuselage, and landing gear. The pilot said the weather conditions at the time of the accident were broken clouds about 6,000 feet; unlimited visibility; temperature about 62 degrees F; and light wind from 240 degrees. In the narrative portion of the NTSB Pilot/Operator Report submitted by the pilot, the pilot said the "carburetor heat control was out (heat was on)."
Factual narrative
On August 28, 2001, about 2000 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 170A airplane, N9791A, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from a private airstrip, about 17 miles east-northeast of Chickaloon, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The commercial certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured; the remaining passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 29, the pilot reported he was departing his airstrip on runway 24 to transport his passengers to Anchorage, Alaska. The airstrip is 2,200 feet long by 70 feet wide, and is located at 1,875 feet msl on a 060/240 degree magnetic orientation. The pilot said he added full engine power, and pushed the carburetor heat control off when he began the takeoff run. The airplane lifted off to about 20 feet agl near the departure end of the runway. The pilot said the airplane did not seem to be climbing and he aborted the takeoff by closing the engine throttle and intentionally stalling the airplane into trees at the departure end of the runway. The rear seat passenger received a fractured wrist. The airplane received damage to the wings, fuselage, and landing gear.
In the narrative portion of the Pilot/Operator Report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot on September 10, 2001, the pilot stated, in part: "...took runway 24 and applied full power. Carb heat was out (heat was on)."
The pilot said the weather conditions at the time of the accident were broken clouds about 6,000 feet; unlimited visibility; temperature about 62 degrees F; and light wind from 240 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9791A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19252
- Airframe hours
- 4,521
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry E. Farrar
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 9, 2001 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- Chickaloon, AK
- Destination
- PANC · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Farrar'S Airstrip, runway 24, 2,200 × 70 ft, dirt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Last flight review
- June 4, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.