Cessna 170 accident near Seward, Alaska, August 30, 2003
On August 30, 2003 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N1293D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seward, 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing which resulted in a nose over during the landing roll. A factor contribuiting to the accident was the presence of soft sand.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2003 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Seward, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N1293D · registry record · serial 19869
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was landing a tundra tire-equipped airplane on the beach of a remote island. The pilot reported that he landed to the southwest, and during the landing roll, the tires encountered soft sand. The airplane nosed over about 350 to 400 feet after touchdown, and received structural damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder.
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
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 18, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2003; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQY Girdwood AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Seward AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.