Cessna 170B accident near Skwentna, Alaska, February 18, 2013
On February 18, 2013, a 1954 Cessna 170B, registered N2814C, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during a departure turn, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2013
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1954 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2814C · registry record · serial 26357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The wheel/ski-equipped airplane was departing to the northwest from a remote, frozen and snow-covered lake toward rising terrain. A gusty northwesterly wind was blowing, and the frozen lake was covered with soft snow. Witnesses said that just after takeoff, the airplane began to climb slowly with a nose-high attitude. As the airplane approached the area of rising terrain, it began a left turn, and the airplane subsequently descended to the ground in a nose-down attitude, colliding with snow-covered terrain nearly vertically. The pilot reported that just after takeoff, the airplane encounter a downdraft and that it was not climbing sufficiently to avoid rising terrain ahead. As he started a left turn, he lowered the nose, applied full engine power, but the downdraft pushed the airplane into the snow-covered terrain. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems, and a subsequent postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. An estimated weight and balance calculation indicated that the airplane was at or near its maximum gross weight and within the center-of-gravity envelope at the time of the accident. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane and engine, along with the witness statements and the nature of the damage to the airplane, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain sufficient airspeed and inadvertently stalled the airplane when it reached the critical angle of attack during the turn, and the pilot was unable to recover because of the low altitude.
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 in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O 360 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Skwentna AK
- Destination: Mcgrath AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N2814C 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 ANC13FA024.