- Date
- September 23, 1997, 11:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lime Village, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1831CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970923029099A
- Case key
- 3072
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 unsuitable terrain for takeoff.
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 and passenger were departing a small, remote gravel area in the tail-wheel equipped airplane. The takeoff area, located about 1,700 feet mean sea level, was about 800 feet long, and oriented on an east/west direction. The pilot departed toward the west, and lifted off near the end of the takeoff area. The tail of the airplane struck the tops of several willow trees, about 15 feet above the ground. The elevator received damage, and the pilot was unable to push forward on the control wheel. The airplane then stall/mushed, and settled onto the ground. The airplane's main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck additional willow trees. The pilot reported the wind conditions at the time of the accident were about 090 degrees at 3 knots.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 1997, about 1135 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170B, N1831C, crashed during takeoff from a remote area, about 35 miles north-northeast of Lime Village, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 26, 1997, at 0910, the pilot reported he was departing a gravel area located about 1,700 feet mean sea level. The takeoff area is about 800 feet long and oriented on an east/west direction, located along the Black Bear Creek. The pilot departed toward the west and lifted off near the end of the takeoff area. The tail of the airplane struck the tops of several willow trees, about 15 feet above the ground. The elevator received damage, and the pilot was unable to push forward on the control wheel. The airplane then stall/mushed, and settled onto the ground. The airplane's main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck additional willow trees.
The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident consisted of: Wind, 090 degrees at 3 knots; visibility, 50 statute miles; sky condition and ceiling, 6,000 feet scattered; temperature, 45 degrees F.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1831C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25975
- Airframe hours
- 4,545
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles J. Roesbery Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 8, 1996
- Destination
- MCG · Mcgrath, AK
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
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,575 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 1,483 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 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.