Cessna 170B accident near Anchorage, Alaska, August 27, 2013
On August 27, 2013 at about 7:23 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2583C, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). 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 loss of control of the airplane during takeoff, resulting in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2013 · about 7:23 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · 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
- N2583C · registry record · serial 26227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off from a gravel airstrip in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the takeoff roll, the pilot said that the airplane began to veer to the left despite his attempts to correct with right rudder. He decreased the engine power, but the left wheel caught a berm, and the airplane ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 202 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 9, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,136 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 2,136 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 2:23 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PAMR
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.
Other NTSB records under N2583C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC13CA086.