Cessna 170B accident near Nikolai, Alaska, November 18, 2007
On November 18, 2007 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N170BP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nikolai, 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 continued flight into adverse weather (icing conditions), which resulted in a loss of engine power during a go-around. Factors contributing to the accident were icing conditions, and carburetor/induction icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2007 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nikolai, Alaska
- 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
- N170BP · no longer on the register · serial 26299
- 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 conducting a solo cross-country flight in a tailwheel-equipped airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. He reported that he received a special VFR clearance at the departure airport, and as soon as he cleared class E airspace, the airplane started to accumulate rime ice on the wings' leading edges and windshield. He reported that three-quarters of the way to his destination the windshield was suddenly covered with rime ice, and that his destination was the closest airport. At the destination airport, he said the visibility was one-half to one mile in fog and freezing drizzle. On short final he reported that visibility was deteriorating, and he elected to go-around. He said the throttle did not respond, the engine lost power, and the airplane descended into trees. The pilot attributed the engine losing power to a combination of carburetor and induction icing. The pilot reported that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. He said during the accident the airplane received damage to the right wing and lift-strut, right aileron, and right elevator. Due to the remote location, the airplane was not examined by the National Transportation Safety Board.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,605 hours in all; 302 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,430 as pilot in command; 34 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,901 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,733 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMC Mcgrath AK at 2:20 pm
- Destination: PAFS Nikolai AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 563 ft; scat at 163 ft
- Temperature: -6°F (-21°C), dew point -13°F (-25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
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.
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.