Cessna 170B accident near Minto Flats, Alaska, October 3, 2010
On October 3, 2010 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2792C, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Minto Flats, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, resulting in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2010 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Minto Flats, Alaska · 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
- N2792C · registry record · serial 26336
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll from a remote site the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered soft terrain and nosed down. He stated that the accident takeoff was his third attempt to depart the site, and that during the attempt he realized the runway was not long enough and reduced the engine power to idle. The airplane's main landing gear tires sank into the soft terrain and the airplane nosed down, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing assembly. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,235 hours in all; 1,480 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,756 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,103 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2010; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Minto Flats AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; ovct
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC11CA002.