- Date
- March 16, 1997, 18:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3486CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970316006439A
- Case key
- 2978
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 failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
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 pilot reported that he was taking off from a snow-covered, off-airport site in his ski-equipped airplane. He said he was unable to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, and went to the left into trees and brush.
Factual narrative
On March 16, 1997, about 1855 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Cessna 170B airplane, N3486C, sustained substantial damage during an attempted takeoff from an off airport site near Newman Creek, located approximately 60 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions. A VFR flight plan was in effect. The airplane last departed Lakloey, Alaska, about 1645, and was returning to Lakloey at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported the accident occurred during his seventh departure from the same, unimproved "bush" strip that same day. On the accident takeoff attempt, the pilot said he was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane departed the takeoff area and entered an area of trees and brush. The left wing contacted a tree, and the airplane turned abruptly to the left, into more brush.
The airplane received damage to about five feet of the outboard section of the left wing, the left wing rear spar is broken in the vicinity of the fuel tank, the fuselage near the left wing attach point is wrinkled, and the right aileron and elevator are damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3486C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26529
- Airframe hours
- 7,132
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-AIA, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rick J. Schikora
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 1996 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- Lakloey, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,922 total · 2,950 in this make and model · 3,822 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -15 °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 N3486C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.