ANC04FA080

History of flight

On July 16, 2004, about 2145 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 170B airplane, N4588C, was destroyed when it collided with trees and the ground following a loss of control while maneuvering, about 12 miles north-northwest of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the three passengers, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a round-robin VFR flight plan was filed from Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, to Talkeetna, Alaska. The accident flight originated at the Talkeetna Airport at 2119 for the return portion of the flight to Anchorage.

At 1704, the pilot telephoned the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Kenai Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) to inquire about the weather conditions from Merrill Field to Talkeetna. The flight service station specialist stated, in part: "Okay, no AIRMETS; Merrill's clear and ten [miles visibility], wind 280 [degrees] at nine [knots]. Talkeetna's few [clouds] at 10,000 feet, ten miles [visibility], winds variable at five [knots]." The pilot then filed a VFR flight plan that included a departure time of 1800, with a route from Merrill Field, to Hatcher Pass, Alaska, to Talkeetna. The pilot indicated that the return route would be Talkeetna, to Big Lake, Alaska, to Merrill Field. The total time en route was planned as 6 hours, to include ground time in Talkeetna, with 5 hours of fuel aboard.

At 1809, the pilot contacted the Kenai AFSS via radio and opened his flight plan. The flight landed at Talkeetna at 1912. The pilot contacted the Talkeetna FSS at 2119 to report his departure.

About 2146, the Alaska State Trooper's dispatch center received a telephone call from a witness who reported the accident at mile 84 of State Highway 3. The witness said she was driving on a motorcycle, northbound on Highway 3, and observed the airplane about 30 feet above the trees, southbound on the west side of the highway, paralleling the highway. The nose of the airplane appeared "slightly up." It then made a smooth right turn, about 180 degrees toward the north, and then nosed down about 45 degrees, and descended from view into the trees.

Another witness reported that she was also northbound on Highway 3. She saw the airplane northbound at a low altitude on the west side of the highway. The airplane appeared to be making a right banking turn, and then nosed down toward the trees. The airplane began a 3/4 spiral turn downward, and disappeared into the trees. Other passing motorists stopped to look for the airplane, but were unable to locate the crash site.

A third witness reported that she was camping along a creek, near the accident site. She indicated that she did not see the airplane, but heard a loud crashing sound.

The accident site was not located from the ground until a helicopter was called to the area by the Alaska State Troopers. The crash site was located in an area of trees, about 235 feet west of the highway.

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The most recent third-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on June 24, 2003, and contained the limitation that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for distant vision.

An examination of the pilot's logbook revealed that he began pilot training in October, 1986, and accrued 7.0 hours of flight instruction. He accrued 3.1 hours of instruction in March, 1987, and then began continuous training in June, 1987, until receiving his private pilot's certificate on June 27, 1987, with 53.5 hours. The pilot did not receive any night instruction, but accrued an additional 2 hours in a tailwheel airplane in 1987. He accrued 10.8 additional tailwheel hours in 1988. In 1989, 1990, and 1991, the pilot accrued 12.3 tailwheel hours (no instruction noted), 2.0 hours of single-engine land dual instruction, 7.1 hours of single-engine sea dual instruction, and 1.1 hours of complex single-engine land dual instruction. No further logbook entries were noted until July, 2003, when the pilot began flying the accident airplane. He received 11.7 hours of dual instruction, including 3.1 hours at night. He completed his night flying requirements, and received a night endorsement on August 28, 2003. The last entry in the pilot's logbook is July 5, 2004, at which time his total experience was 151.9 hours. Examination of the "remarks and other endorsements" page in the pilot's logbook revealed endorsements for solo, cross country, night, and a biennial flight review (BFR) on August 29, 2003.

Aircraft information

The airplane had accumulated a total time in service of 5,327.73 hours. Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection of the engine and airframe was accomplished on September 27, 2003, 184.91 hours before the accident.

The engine, a Continental C-145-2, had accrued a total time in service of 5,197.83 hours. The maintenance records note that the engine was was overhauled by a certified repair station on February 2, 2004. The overhaul included the replacement of the engine's crankshaft with one that had an ARP502 Type 1 propeller flange. It was reinstalled on the airplane without a propeller, 592.93 hours before the accident. The overhaul, documented on a FAA Major Repair and Alteration document (FAA FORM 337) on February 10, 2004, was approved by an FAA airworthiness inspector. The Form 337 also noted that the engine was converted to an 0-300-D configuration. The engine retained the original accessory case, and the original engine serial number.

On February 11, 2004, under Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA7441SW, a McCauley 1A175-SFC propeller was installed, documented by FAA Form 337, and approved by an FAA airworthiness inspector.

Meteorological information

The closest official weather observation station is Talkeetna, Alaska, which is located 23 nautical miles north-northwest of the accident site. At 2153, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Wind, 180 degrees (true) at 5 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 10,000 feet scattered; temperature, 72 degrees F; dew point, 54 degrees F; altimeter, 29.87 inHg.

Communications

A transcript of the air to ground communications between the airplane and all involved FAA ATC facilities is included in the public docket of this accident.

Wreckage and impact information

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) and an FAA inspector, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), examined the airplane wreckage at the accident site on July 17, 2004. The examination revealed that the airplane collided with several trees, and then struck soft ground in about a 45 degree nose down attitude, with about a 45 degree right bank.

All of the airplane's major components were found at the main wreckage area, and the wreckage was confined to about an 80 foot radius. Numerous broken tree limbs were observed about 50 feet above the impact site. The empennage was separated from the main fuselage near the forward attach point of the vertical stabilizer, and located with the tailwheel up, about 20 feet north of the main impact site. The point of separation had buckling compression, and tearing of the metal structure. The leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer was undamaged. The outboard end of the left elevator was undamaged, but the trailing edge had upward spanwise bending to about mid-chord. The right elevator had upward spanwise bending, to about mid chord, with downward and aft bending of the outboard end. The top of the vertical stabilizer had minor buckling and denting. Th