- Date
- September 16, 2024, 19:00 local (Sep 17, 2024, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- McKinley Village, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3474CCessna 170
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240916014799A
- Case key
- 195270
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 late decision to go-around, failure to maintain proper airspeed, and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude to recover.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after a short local flight, he decided to return to the remote airstrip due to deteriorating weather conditions in the area. On the first attempt to land he was too high, and the approach was not stabilized, so he elected to go around. On the second attempt the approach was stabilized, but the airplane floated in ground effect longer than he expected, and he elected to go around again. During the second go around the airplane was unable to clear a 50 ft tall stand of trees at the end of the airstrip, so he initiated a right turn, but he was unable to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The airplane subsequently settled into an area of tree-covered terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported there were no preimpact anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3474C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26517
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 3,712
- Engine
- Continential O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2024
- Departed
- McKinley Village, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 116 total · 61 in this make and model · 69 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.66 inHg
- Observed at
- AIN, 19 nm away
- METAR
- PAIN 170256Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM -RA FEW017 OVC031 06/05 A2966 RMK AO2 SLP059 P0004 60004 T00610050 53012
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.