Cessna 170B accident near Manley Hot Sprg, Alaska, November 10, 2003
On November 10, 2003 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N4448B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manley Hot Sprg, Alaska (Eureka Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 contributing to the accident was snow covered terrain at the landing strip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2003 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Manley Hot Sprg, Alaska · Eureka Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4448B · registry record · serial 26792
- 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 landing on a private, snow-covered mining strip. During the landing roll, the main landing gear wheels broke through the snow crust, and the airplane nosed over, activating the airplane's emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The pilot indicated the airplane received damage to the propeller, wingtip, and 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
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fairbanks AK
- Destination: Manley Hot Sprg AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 238° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.52 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from PATA, 47 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N4448B 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.