Cessna 170A accident near Anchorage, Alaska, September 5, 2011
On September 5, 2011 at about 9:41 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N5406C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Airstrip 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 fracture of a hydraulic brake line fitting due to incorrect installation of the brake line by the pilot/owner, which resulted in a loss of brake pressure and subsequent loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2011 · about 9:41 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N5406C · registry record · serial 19440
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, gravel runway at the conclusion of a local area flight. After landing, the pilot applied the brakes to slow the airplane, and, while depressing both brake pedals, the left brake pedal unexpectedly went to the floor. The airplane swerved to the right, went off the right side of the runway, and nosed over in an area of soft, marshy, wet tundra, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder, left wing, and left aileron. A postaccident examination revealed that a hydraulic brake supply line fitting near the airplane's fuselage had broken, which resulted in a loss of brake pressure to the left brake. The hydraulic brake line was not secured to the landing gear strut as required, which allowed the line to flex and bend at the fitting during flight. The pilot reported that he recently rebuilt the airplane himself.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z71 Anchorage AK
- Destination: Z71 Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:40 pm from PALH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.