# NTSB ANC97LA063: Cessna 170B, N3417C, Anchorage, AK, April 29, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 28, 1997, 20:00 local (Apr 29, 1997, 04:00 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.219127, -149.850265 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2191&lon=-149.8503&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 29, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2996 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC97LA063 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2996/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=2996 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA063 ## Probable cause the flight instructor's inadequate preflight by failing to ensure his seat was properly latched, and his resultant failure (or inability) to recover from the student pilot's bounced landing. A factor associated with the accident was: the student pilot's improper flare during the landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - fuselage,seat - unlatched (contributing factor) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - flare - improper, dual student (contributing factor) - recovery from bounced landing - not attained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - landing gear,main gear attachment - overload ## Analysis A flight instructor (CFI) was providing pre-solo flight instruction to a student pilot in a tailwheel equipped airplane. The student was practicing touch-and-go landings, and his landing approach was slightly high and fast. The airplane touched down on the runway and bounced upward to about 10 ft above the ground. The instructor added power, and attempted to correct the situation. The airplane touched down a second time, and again bounced into the air. The instructor's seat suddenly released and slid aft, preventing him from reaching the flight controls. The airplane touched down a third time along the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear broke at its fuselage attach point, and the left wing struck the ground. An inspection of the instructor's seat did not reveal any malfunction of the latching mechanism. The student pilot had accrued 14.5 hours of total instructional flight time, with 6.8 hours of instruction accrued in the accident airplane. ## Factual narrative On April 28, 1997, about 2000 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170, N3417C, crashed during landing at the Goose Bay Airport, about 8 1/2 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the second pilot, sustained substantial damage. The first pilot, a certificated commercial/flight instructor pilot, the second pilot, a non-certificated student pilot, and two passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, at 1915. On April 29, 1997, at 0820, the first pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was providing presolo flight instruction to the second pilot. The first pilot was seated in the right front seat. During touch and go landings on runway 25, the second pilot was flying the airplane. His landing approach was slightly high and fast. The airplane touched down on the runway, and bounced upward to about 10 feet above the ground. The first pilot added power, and attempted to gain full control of the airplane. The airplane touched down a second time, and again bounced into the air. The first pilot's seat suddenly released and slid aft, preventing the first pilot from reaching the flight controls. The airplane touched down a third time along the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear broke at its fuselage attach point, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane received damage to the left landing gear, fuselage, the left wing lift strut, and left wing spar. Following the accident, the airplane was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector from the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office. The inspector reported the right front seat tracks, seat rollers, and the seat latch mechanism, did not exhibit any sign of wear. The owner of the airplane (the second pilot), reported that an airworthiness directive that addressed the seat locking mechanism, had been complied with. The second pilot had accrued 14.5 hours of total instructional flight time, with 6.8 hours of instruction accrued in the accident airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3417C](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3417C), registered now, S/N 26460 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 170B - Registry model: [Cessna 170B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170b) (registry code 2072306) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 26460 - Engines: Continental O-300-A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Cary W. Jasper - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Z41, AK - Destination: Z40 - Airport: Z40, Goose Bay, runway 25, 3,000 × 25 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 10,000 total, 200 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970429006699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970429006699A), Apr 29, 1997: Cessna 170B, Goose Bay, AK, Substantial damage. Student bounced landing. CFI took over during second bounce. Seat slid back lost control. Broke left gear. Bent win ## Other investigations on N3417C (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC74FGT21](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC74FGT21), Jun 6, 1974: Cessna 170B (N3417C), Hanover, PA, substantial damage - [NTSB NYC66D0651](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC66D0651), May 8, 1966: Cessna 170B (N3417C), Montgomery, PA, substantial damage ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 2, 1998, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=2996. 418 KB in all. - Supplement E (item 1, .PDF, 84 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40411851&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20E-Redacted.PDF - Supplement S (item 2, .PDF, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40081268&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 3, .PDF, 301 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40411852&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.