Cessna 170 - B accident near Nome, Alaska, January 4, 2014
On January 4, 2014 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170 - B, registered N8177A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Nome, Alaska. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately remove water-contaminated fuel during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2014 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 - B B, built 1952 · all 170 - Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8177A · no longer on the register · serial 25029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane was pulled out of the hangar and preflighted for a maintenance test flight, following an extensive annual inspection. Approximately 10 minutes after departure the airplane lost all engine power, and made an emergency landing on the sea ice. During the emergency landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. While inspecting the airplane after the accident, the pilot said he found water in the airplane's gascolator. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector revealed water in the fuel system, including the carburetor bowl. The pilot indicated that other than the water in the fuel, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. In the pilot's written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board he noted that the accident might have been avoided if the airplane had been placed on level ground after it was pulled from the hangar, thereby allowing the water to be drained from the fuel system.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 30,000 as pilot in command; 5,633 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,172 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 4, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 3,972 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Nome AK at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Nome AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAOM, 9 miles away
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 N8177A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.