Cessna 170 accident near Teller, Alaska, September 8, 2004
On September 8, 2004 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 170, registered N3492C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Teller, Alaska. 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 takeoff, and his inadequate evaluation of the wind conditions, which resulted in a collision with an embankment during takeoff-initial climb. Factors contributing to the accident was the presence of a sand embankment, and a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2004 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Teller, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3492C · registry record · serial 26535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was departing toward the north from a gravel area along a remote creek. The takeoff area was oriented north/south, and was about 800 feet long, and about 100 feet wide. The pilot indicated the wind was variable, about 7 knots. About 25 feet after liftoff, the right main landing gear tire struck about a 2 foot high embankment. The airplane settled onto the gravel bar and came to a stop. The pilot said that an observer on the ground reported to him that the wind appeared to switch to a tailwind during the takeoff run. The airplane was retrieved from the scene by helicopter. The pilot of the helicopter reported that when he arrived at the scene, he observed the right main landing gear strut and tire lying in a small creek, separated from the fuselage, between what appeared to be the takeoff point, and the airplane's point of rest.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 2004; 150 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: Teller AK at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N3492C 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.