Cessna 170B accident near Circle, Alaska, March 13, 1985
On March 13, 1985 at about 2:45 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2859C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Circle, Alaska (Circle City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1985 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Circle, Alaska · Circle City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2859C · registry record · serial 26402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF AT NIGHT FROM A SNOW COVERED RWY WITH NO RWY LIGHTS. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER THE ACFT LIFTED OFF, HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCES DUE TO THE DARKNESS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT SETTLED INTO ALDERS, WILLOW BRUSH & DEEP SNOW & WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BEFORE COMING TO REST. REPORTEDLY, THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR VISUAL REFERENCES BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 640 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRC at 2:45 am
- Destination: CHP Circle Hot Sprg AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 ANC85LA055.