Cessna 170B accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, August 29, 2001
On August 29, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N4669C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal 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
The pilot's inadvertent stall/mush during the initial climb after takeoff, and subsequent in-flight collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · 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
- N4669C · registry record · serial 25613
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was departing toward the north from a remote area that was about 700 feet long and 40 feet wide. The pilot said he had utilized the area for landing in the past. The terrain below the takeoff area had several trees, and then an open area of tall grass. The pilot said the airplane lifted off the ground during the takeoff run, but then seemed to "mush" downward. He lowered the nose of the airplane but the left wing collided with a tree about 20 feet above the ground. The pilot then pulled the engine power off, and the airplane descended into the area of grass. During the touchdown, the left main landing gear strut was displaced aft from its attach point at the fuselage.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 577 hours in all; 546 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 535 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,194 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 272 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fairbanks AK at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PAFA, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N4669C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.