Cessna 170 accident near 40 W Of Clear, Alaska, November 25, 1990
On November 25, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N4030V, was substantially damaged in an accident near 40 W Of Clear, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULE WHILE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE WHITEOUT CONDITION CREATED BY THE VAST EXPANSE OF WHITE LAKE SURFACE, AND THE BLOWING SNOW WHICH FURTHER REDUCED THE VISIBILITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- 40 W Of Clear, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4030V · no longer on the register · serial 18349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT WIEN LAKE AT 1200 ALASKA STANDARD TIME (A.S.T) AND THE WEATHER WAS VERY POOR. WITNESSES DESCRIBED VISIBILITY AS 600 FEET WITH FALLING BLOWING SNOW. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WIEN LAKE AT 1330 A.S.T., AND THE WITNESSES AGAIN DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AS VERY POOR. THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE ENTIRE TAKEOFF RUN DUE TO VISIBILITY. THEY HEARD THE ENGINE OPERATING AT WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS FULL POWER UNTIL THEY HEARD A LOUD THUMP. ALL ENGINE NOISE CEASED AT THAT TIME. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 235 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Wien Lake AK at 5:30 pm
- Destination: ENN Nenana AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.