Cessna 170B accident near Anchorage, Alaska, June 12, 2005
On June 12, 2005 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2830C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). 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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control and an inadvertent ground-loop. A factor associated with the accident was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2005 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · 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
- N2830C · no longer on the register · serial 26373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that the automatic terminal information service at the landing airport indicated the surface wind was from 040 degrees at 6 knots. During the landing roll on runway 6, the pilot stated the left wing lifted, and he lost directional control. The airplane ground-looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and left wing. The official weather observation taken at the time of the accident indicated that the wind was from 030 degrees at 9 knots. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
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: 190 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 06
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:30 pm from MRI
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.