- Date
- April 8, 2018, 19:30 local (Apr 9, 2018, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4133VCessna 170
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180408010469A
- Case key
- 97052
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land on a gravel airstrip, he increased engine power to "extend the approach," the airplane pitched up in a nose-high attitude, aerodynamically stalled, and yawed to the right. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a snowbank to the right side of the airstrip. A postcrash fire destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land on a gravel airstrip, he increased engine power to "extend the approach", the airplane pitched up in a nose high attitude, aerodynamically stalled and yawed to the right. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a snowbank to the right side of the airstrip. A postcrash fire destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4133V
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18465
- Built
- 1948
- Airframe hours
- 3,483.5
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 26, 2017
- Departed
- BGQ · Big Lake, AK
- Destination
- Big Lake, AK
- Equipment
- None
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 3 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.