- Date
- August 29, 2001, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4669CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-FAI FSDO 01
- FAA report
- 20010829022629A
- Case key
- 53140
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 inadvertent stall/mush during the initial climb after takeoff, and subsequent in-flight collision with a tree.
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 private certificated pilot was departing toward the north from a remote area that was about 700 feet long and 40 feet wide. The pilot said he had utilized the area for landing in the past. The terrain below the takeoff area had several trees, and then an open area of tall grass. The pilot said the airplane lifted off the ground during the takeoff run, but then seemed to "mush" downward. He lowered the nose of the airplane but the left wing collided with a tree about 20 feet above the ground. The pilot then pulled the engine power off, and the airplane descended into the area of grass. During the touchdown, the left main landing gear strut was displaced aft from its attach point at the fuselage.
Factual narrative
On August 29, 2001, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 170B airplane, N4669C, sustained substantial damage during a takeoff from a remote area, about 35 miles southeast of Fairbanks, 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 private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 30, the pilot reported that he was departing toward the north from a small bench area that is about 700 feet long, and 40 feet wide. The pilot said he had utilized the area for landing in the past. The terrain below the bench had several trees, and then an open area of tall grass. The pilot said the airplane lifted off the ground during the takeoff run, but then seemed to "mush" downward. He lowered the nose of the airplane but the left wing collided with a tree about 20 feet above the ground. The pilot then pulled the engine power off, and the airplane descended into the area of grass. During the touchdown, the left main landing gear strut was displaced aft from its attach point at the fuselage.
The closest official weather observation station is Fairbanks, Alaska, which is located 35 nautical miles northwest of the accident site. On August 29, at 1353, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Wind, 090 degrees (true) at 6 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, few at 6,000 feet, 10,000 feet scattered, 18,000 feet scattered; temperature, 68 degrees F; dew point, 42 degrees F; altimeter, 29.51 inHg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4669C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25613
- Airframe hours
- 1,194
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kent E. Owens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Fairbanks, AK
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Last flight review
- January 10, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 577 total · 546 in this make and model · 535 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.51 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4669C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.