ANC95LA041

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 170A · Anchorage, AK · March 29, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 29, 1995, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
Place
Anchorage, AK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N1364DCessna 170A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 24, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19950329006009A
Case key
2638

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to correct for torque/p factor when adding engine power for the go-around maneuver. The pilot's misjudged flare, delayed go-around, and lack of total experience were factors in the accident.

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.

Loss of control - in flightGo-around (vfr)
Flare - misjudgedPilot in commandFactor
Go-around - delayedPilot in commandFactor
Torque/p-factor - not correctedPilot in commandCause
Lack of total experiencePilot in commandFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterGo-around (vfr)
Terrain condition - snowbank

Analysis

The student pilot was practicing touch and go landings at a gravel airstrip that had snowberms along each side of the runway. During the ninth approach for landing, the pilot flared too high and ballooned upward. He added power to arrest the descent, then, decided to begin a go-around. The pilot added full power and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot then banked the airplane to the right and the right main landing gear struck the snowberm along the left side of the runway. The pilot had accrued 56 total flight hours with 4.3 hours as solo flight.

Factual narrative

On March 29, 1995, about 1700 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170A, N1364D, collided with a snow bank during a go-around at Goose Bay Airport, about 8 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, received substantial damage. The pilot, holder of a student pilot certificate and the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1527.

The pilot reported that he was performing solo touch and go landings on runway 25. During the ninth landing approach, he flared too high and the airplane ballooned upward. The pilot added engine power to extend the landing touchdown. He then decided to go-around and added full power. The airplane veered to the left and collided with a snow bank along the left edge of the runway. The airplane received damage to the right landing gear and right wing.

The pilot indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of 56 hours. He had accrued 40.3 hours in the accident aircraft make and model, with 4.3 hours as pilot-in-command (solo).

Aircraft

Registration
N1364D
Reported as
Cessna 170A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
19940
Airframe hours
1,813
Engine
Continental C145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Paul Spiro
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 2, 1995 · 34 hours before
Departed
Z41 · AK
Destination
Z40
Airport
Z40 · Goose Bay, runway 25, 3,000 × 75 ft, gravel

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
41
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
56 total · 40 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Variable at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
39 °F

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 N1364D · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.