Cessna 170B accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, May 8, 2001
On May 8, 2001 at about 3:56 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N3143A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the tailwheel spring assembly due to fatigue during touch and go landings. A factor in the accident was an inadequate annual inspection by maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2001 · about 3:56 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3143A · registry record · serial 25787
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot/flight instructor was conducting a local area instructional flight with the student pilot/owner of the airplane. The flight instructor reported that he was doing wheel landings with the student to a gravel runway. During the touch down on the third or fourth landing, the tailwheel assembly suddenly broke off. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane after the accident and found a preexisting crack in the tailwheel spring assembly that was about 1/16 inch deep, and about 1/2 inch long. The spring failed at the crack. When the tail wheel departed the airplane, it struck the bottom of the rudder, and the rudder trim tab. The bottom and aft portion of the rudder assembly was torn open. The spring assembly had accrued 126 hours, and 65 hours since the last annual inspection.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,591 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 3,891 as pilot in command; 1,092 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 9, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 28 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,904 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2000; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK at 10:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,980 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 184° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PAFA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.