Cessna 170B accident near Glennallen, Alaska, September 6, 2013
On September 6, 2013 at about 3:54 am local time, a 1952 Cessna 170B, registered N170BN, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Glennallen, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2013 · about 3:54 am local time
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1952 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N170BN · no longer on the register · serial 20787
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed a remote, off-airport site to search for a moose he had shot earlier in the day. A witness observed the airplane perform a series of low-altitude maneuvers before flying by his location about 80 to 100 feet above the ground. The airplane then began a left turn, and the nose of the airplane pitched down abruptly and began to spin. The airplane subsequently descended vertically, nose first, and it collided with the tundra and brush-covered terrain. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane and engine, the witness statements, and the nature of the damage to the airplane, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently stalled and spun the airplane at a low altitude and was unable to recover.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 186 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 2013; 6 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Glennallen AK
- Destination: Glennallen AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from PAZK, 38 miles away
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.