- Date
- March 31, 1997, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Manley Hot Sprn, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4549CCessna 170
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970331006449A
- Case key
- 2984
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 selection of an unsuitable landing area. A factor was the soft snow.
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 landed his ski equipped airplane on a frozen, snow covered runway. During the latter portion of the landing roll, the right ski broke through the soft snow, and the right main landing gear collapsed.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 1997, about 1530 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Cessna 170B airplane, N4549C, sustained substantial damage while landing on frozen East Twin Lake, located about 33 miles south of Manley Hot Springs, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot and the one passenger aboard were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 pleasure flight departed Fairbanks, Alaska, about 1200. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was in effect.
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on April 8, the pilot related he had just landed the accident airplane on East Twin Lake to go fishing. During the latter part of the landing roll, the right ski broke through the ice crust, the right main landing gear was pulled from the gear box, and the gear box was pulled away from fuselage. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground.
The NTSB Form 6120.1/2 was not returned by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4549C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25493
- Engine
- Continental C145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Watson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.