Cessna 170B accident near Kenai, Alaska, July 31, 2004
On July 31, 2004 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2269D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (Vs) while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2004 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2269D · no longer on the register · serial 20421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was transporting friends to an unimproved airstrip on a riverbank to go fishing. A pilot, who had landed his airplane at the airstrip earlier, reported that the accident airplane made two slow passes over the landing area in opposite directions, about 2 feet above the ground. The witness said on the second pass he noticed that the right engine cowl was unsecured. He said the airplane had a tailwind, and that during the initial climb after the pass, the airplane started a turn to the right. He said "the upper wing stalled," the airplane inverted, and "went vertical into the ground." The airplane impacted the terrain approximately 60 degrees nose down. The four occupants of the airplane were fatally injured. The wings and fuselage of the airplane sustained extensive structural damage. Pilots in the area said they heard the pilot making routine position calls in the airstrip's pattern on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). A video, made by the right front seat passenger, confirmed that the right engine cowl came open during the flight to the airstrip, and that the pilot did not appear overly concerned. The airplane's owner said there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident flight. An approximate weight and balance calculation indicated that the airplane was at or near maximum gross weight, and the center of gravity was at or near the aft limit at the time of the accident.
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: 1,052 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 1,012 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 23, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,332 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2003; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAEN Kenai AK at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.