- Date
- March 4, 2001, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- South Haven, MN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2577DCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010304002479A
- Case key
- 51856
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 altitude/clearance from the terrain during the maneuver to avoid the tree line. Factors to the accident were the diminished aircraft handling, the pilot's maneuver to avoid the tree line, the unsuitable terrain for takeoff selected by the pilot, the snow covered lake, and the tree line.
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 was attempting a takeoff from a snow-covered frozen lake. According to the pilot's written statement, "Taking off lake on skis. Snow was sticky - take off run was long - got airborne - couldn't climb above approaching trees - elected to turn left and land on lake." The pilot reported, "Hit the snow with the left wing tip - couldn't straighten flight path - ski on right hit snow with side load & ripped off under plane with the whole gear[.]" The pilot stated that the airplane came to rest approximately 120-feet from where the wingtip impacted terrain.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 2001, at 1330 central standard time, a Cessna 170B, N2577D, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain during a takeoff from a frozen lake near South Haven, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers reported no injuries. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of Forest Lake, Minnesota.
According to the pilot's written statement, "Taking off lake on skis. Snow was sticky - take off run was long - got airborne - couldn't climb above approaching trees - elected to turn left and land on lake." The pilot reported, "Hit the snow with the left wing tip - couldn't straighten flight path - ski on right hit snow with side load & ripped off under plane with the whole gear[.]" The pilot stated that the airplane came to rest approximately 120-feet from where the wingtip impacted terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2577D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20729
- Airframe hours
- 4,091
- Engine
- Continental O-300-B, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Shipp LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 2001 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- South Haven, MI
- Destination
- Forest Lake, MN
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 27, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,475 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,200 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- STC, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.