Cessna 170B accident near Lake Louise, Alaska, June 30, 1991
On June 30, 1991 at about 7:15 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N4659C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Louise, Alaska (Lake Louise airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH CONDITION OF THE AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1991 · about 7:15 am local time
- Place
- Lake Louise, Alaska · Lake Louise · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4659C · registry record · serial 225603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRSTRIP WAS ROUGH AND DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE HIT A HUMP AND BECAME AIRBORNE EARLIER THAN HE EXPECTED. HE STATED HE HAD TOO MUCH RIGHT RUDDER APPLIED AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK SOME VEGETATION AND NOSED OVER.
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: 177 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 110 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,416 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1991; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Z15 Birchwood AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N4659C 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.